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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.

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

Fraud email example:

From: efcc.ngr@cantv.net
Reply-To: iConnect@safe-mail.net
Date: 07 Mar 2024 15:08:42 -0800
Subject: LONG OVERDUE FUNDS PAYMENT, PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR DETAILS.

Attention:

My name is Ms. Frank Joseph, an administrative clerk of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria and I maintain the commission's manual files. I am writing to you in regards to a file I came across, which contains your names, phone number and e-mail aliases. Checking through the date on this file, I found out that it has been on the EFCC's desk for over some years, and information from the file states that you were supposed to have some funds in the amount of $7,500,545.00 or more transferred to you by the Central Bank of Nigeria, under the EFCC's supervision.

Information from the file further states that your inability to get your funds paid to you was because of your constant communication with people who claim to be what they are not, people who frequently impersonate the identity of real government and bank officials to help make themselves and their scam appear legitimate, in order to deceive and defraud people like you of their hard-earned money, whilst diverting your attention away from true Government and bank officials. Note that I am only doing this because if you fail to claim your funds it will surely end up in the pockets of a corrupt Nigerian government official, which I want to prevent.

I do not know if I am in contact with the true fund beneficiary, if I am and you are still interested in claiming/ receiving your funds, please contact the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria (EFCC) through this email: iConnect@safe-mail.net He will duly meet your expectation, provided you are honest and sincere in your dealings with him. I wish you the best of lucks in your pursuit.

Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Frank Joseph,
Administrative clerk,
EFCC.

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