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"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: PAUL ALFRED <iraboj234@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrstevedward777@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2021 20:08:01 +0100
Subject: My Introduction .

Dear Friend,

I am Paul Alfred, General manager treasury department, I work with
Allied Irish Bank, United Kingdom, my office controls and handling the
affairs of all foreign banks and financial institutions in United
Kingdom concerned with foreign payments settlement claims.

Conclusively, I discovered list of funds, which could not be
transferred to some nominated accounts abroad originated from
unclaimed deposits, over-invoiced contract sum / next of kin, and
lottery organizations. After going through the files from my Desk
attached with your email address on it was among the contractor's /
beneficiary's expecting the funds to be transferred into their
account, and it is my duty to recommend the transfer of these surplus
funds to the Government Treasury and Reserve Accounts as unclaimed
deposits, based on the instructions received from the Foreign Debts
Reconciliation Dept to submit the List of payment reports /
expenditures and audited reports of revenues. Among several others, I
have decided to present you the beneficiary to an contract inheritance
sum of £3.5 million pounds. And subsequently a joint business
venture, following my idea that we can have a Deal / agreement, the
transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will
protect you from any breach of the law both in your country and here
in United Kingdom once the fund is transferred to your bank account.

The funds £3.5 million pounds I am referring to is right here in this
bank floating in suspense account and the interest is being rolled
over with the principal sum at the end of each year, therefore i
solicit for your cooperation to be in collaboration with me to have
this done, it will take us 7 working days to complete this transaction
and it will be transferred into an account you will provide any where
in the world. I will need you to provide the following information
below to enable an attorney start the processing all the relevant
legal documents in your name for the fund remittance.

Listen the money will be shared as follows after transfer into your
account, 60% for you (Account Owner) 40% for me the initiator, we will
be purporting your name or your company name the original contractor /
beneficiary of the inheritance funds so all procedures for
international transfer shall be strictly followed.

Therefore, l advise you to send the following information below along
with a scanned copy of your international passport or drivers license.

(1) Your Full Name:
(2) Your House Address:
(3) Your Direct Telephone Number:
(4) Your Occupation Status:

I want to reassure you that the Genuity of this transaction cannot be
questioned, all correspondence will be strictly by email / telephone,
for security purposes.

I wait in anticipation of your fullest co-operation.

Paul Alfred

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