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: HSBC BANK <cokleytrober@gmail.com>
Reply-To: cjsaint2022@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2022 01:45:42 -0700
Subject: BREAKING NEWS

*HSBC BANK USA,Head Office AddressBuffalo, NY 14240us.hsbc.com
<http://us.hsbc.com> BREAKING NEWS The US government on foreign/local
payment in its last meeting with the deputy governor of HSBC Bank gave a
final approval for the immediate payment of all the foreign contractors who
for long executed their contract in United State of America without
receiving their contract payment.In view of this present development, we
wish to inform you that your contract fund has been stated for immediate
remittances but action is on your contract payment following a change of
account application filled in by one MS RITA RANDALL with the new account
details as follows:BANK NAME : CHASE BANK MANHATTAN,BANK ADDRESS New York,
N.Y. 10005, USAACCOUNT HOLDER : MS RITA RANDALLACCOUNT NUMBER :
589006532465SWIFT CODE : CHASUS33 ROUTING NUMBER : 111000614This
account information which was submitted by MS RITA RANDALL did not come
with VALID POWER OF ATTORNEY, it is this issue that compelled me to contact
you so as to receive confirmation from you on the change of account. If
this change of account was authorized by you, it has to be written in
company letter headed paper stamped and signed by you; Reconfirming to me
the following. 1. That the application for the change of beneficiary was
done with your consent.2. That the said fund should be transferred into the
above account. This has to be done immediately because we will not
entertain any enquiry from your so called agent who came to this office
demanding your contract payment by cashier cheque, telegraphic transfer or
certified bank draft: If in the alternative you did not permit any body to
effect such a change of account, authenticate your disapproval to this
office in your letter headed paper with all the contract and account
details clearly stated. This is to enable us avoid errors in transferring
of this fund. HSBC Bank will not be held responsible for any wrong
information given to us. You are expected to contact this office on the
above telephone or e-mail MrVincentMegan1@outlook.com
<MrVincentMegan1@outlook.com> and reply this message as soon as you receive
it.Yours faithfully,Mr Vincent Megan*

Anti-fraud resources: