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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: Mohammed Balarabe <nc5944010@gmail.com>
Reply-To: balarabemohammed25@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2021 15:13:16 -0700
Subject: Read Carefully/Next of Kin.

Dear Sir/Madam,

My Name is Mr. Mohammed Balarabe. I am the Operation Manager in (Fidelity
Bank Nigeria). I came to know about you in my Private Search for a reliable
and reputable foreigner to handle a confidential transaction with me. I
hope I can trust you on this. I apologize for intruding into your privacy
especially by contacting you through this means for a business transaction,
but due to its seriousness and urgency.

One of our customers, late Mr. Hassan Karam Jameel, is an oil contractor
from Syria made a fixed deposit of US$18 million in our bank in January
26th 2011, and the bank has not heard from him since the maturity of the
deposited fund. The Bank has made several efforts to locate him but know
avail. Recently I found out that Mr. Hassan Karam Jameel, died with his
entire family in the Syria War leaving behind no Next of Kin to the deposit
fund.

Therefore I am contacting you to present you as the Next of Kin/Beneficiary
to claim the abandoned fund sum of US$18 million. As an officer in the bank
I cannot be directly connected to this fund, thus I am compelled to request
for your assistance to claim this fund from the bank for investment
purposes in your company or country. I agree to go into partnership
investment with you, owing to your wealth of experience once the fund gets
to your account. I do need to stress that there is practically no risk
involved in this, it's going to be a bank to bank transfer.

All I need from you is trust and honesty to stand as the Next of
Kin/Beneficiary of the sum of US$18 million, for the bank to release the
fund to your account. The bank will release the fund to any foreigner who
has the correct information regarding the deposited fund, which I will give
to you if you are willing and interested to work with me in this
transaction.

Kindly send me your direct mobile line with your name for heart to heart
discussion.

I will be waiting for your reply urgently.

Best Regards,

Mohammed Balarabe.

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