joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Tanko Sanni." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <bank1929kanthony@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2018 07:16:06 +0100
Subject: Final reminder!!

Dear client,
From the time I took on the mantle of leadership as Administrator-General, It took me two years of relentless endeavour to dust off your payment file from the archive room where it was abandoned for years. Citing my predecessor's handover-report, I wish to bring to your attention that the outstanding claim of $20 Million in your name was in May 2015 referred to a suspense account on suspicion of unavailability of beneficiary's consent. I further gathered that this presumption was reached after efforts made by the Interior Ministry to contact you for five years proved abortive.
 
Note that your $20 Million inheritance fund has exceeded its grace period in the suspense account and failure to complete the statutory requirements will result to the termination of payment. I am on the verge of my retirement and I have thought it wise to make you an 'eleventh hour' offer that will be beneficial to both sides. I have vested interest in your pending payment and with my executive powers, I can assure you a speedy re-validation of your payment before my exit from office. If you would accept a 50/50 split with me, I will initiate the E-16 payment authorization process to enable you receive your outstanding $20 Million within the next ten (10) working days.
 
For the sake of my image as a civil servant in active service, I would urge you to keep this game plan confidential throughout the period of this pursuit to avoid any indictment against my outstanding records. Be rest assured that every bureaucratic bottleneck will be bypassed even as legal documents will be signed and stamped in your name as the bonafide beneficiary of the sum. In view of the above, please leave your mobile phone number as sign of acceptance to this offer and in doing so, details of this venture and its modalities will be further discussed with you.
 
Thanks in anticipation, I hope to read from you at your earliest convenience.
 
Regards,
Tanko Sanni.
Administrator-General of Public Trustee,
Ministry of Justice, North-eastern Region.

Anti-fraud resources: