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joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- aldanjuma.ergogo1@rediffmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "AL-DANJUMA ERGOGO" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <aldanjuma.ergogo1@rediffmail.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:14:16 +0100
Subject: BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP CONTACT ME ASAP
DEAR FRIEND
I MUST CONFESS THAT IT IS WITH GREAT JOY AND ENTHUSIASM THAT I AM WRITING YOU THIS MAIL WHICH I KNOW AND BELIEVE BY FAITH THAT IT MUST SURELY FIND YOU IN GOOD HEALTH. I AM AL-DANJUMA ERGOGO, THE DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING SECTION OF UNION BANK OF NIGERIA. I AM THE PERSONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER TO ENGR. ALLEN D. GORMAN, WHO USED TO WORK WITH MULTI-NATIONAL OIL COMPANY IN NIGERIA, WHO WAS ATTACKED AND KILLED BY MILITANTS IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION FIVE YEARS AGO.
I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR ANY OF HIS RELATIVE BUT NO WHERE TO FOUND TILL DATE AND I CANNOT CLAIM HIS MONEY ALONE WITHOUT A FOREIGNER WHO CAN STAND AS HIS RELATIVE. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO INDICATE YOUR INTEREST TO RECEIVE THE TRANSFER OF US$21.753 MILLION DOLLARS BY MAKING THE NEXT OF KIN TO OUR DECEASED CUSTOMER WHOSE ACCOUNT IS PRESENTLY DORMANT FOR CLAIMS.
NOTE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE TO BOTH PARTIES BOTH NOW AND IN THE FUTURE, YOUR FUTURE AND PROPERTIES ARE GUARANTEED AS LONG AS THIS TRANSACTION IS CONCERNED. PLEASE ONCE YOU ARE INTERESTED KINDLY SEND ME THE FOLLOWING DETAILS INFORMATION BELOW.
1. YOUR FULL NAME:………………………………………………………..
2. YOUR RESIDENT ADDRESS:………………………………………………………….
3.YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER:.................................................................
4. YOUR OFFICE OR HOME TELL/FAX NUMBERS:………………………………………………………
5.YOUR COUNTRY AND CITY:............................................................................
6. YOUR OCCUPATION:..............................................................................
7.YOUR AGE:...............................................
I SHALL SEND YOU MORE DETAILS AS SOON AS I HEAR FROM YOU. MY TELEPHONE NUMBER IS: +234-803-352-5020 AND MY PRIVATE E-MAIL ADDRESS IS: E-MIL: aldanjuma.ergogo1@rediffmail.com
YOURS SINCERELY,
AL-DANJUMA ERGOGO
DIRECTOR IN-CHARGE OF AUDITING
AND ACCOUNTING SECTION OF
UNION BANK OF NIGERIA
DIRECT TEL: +234-803-352-5020
E-MIL: aldanjuma.ergogo1@rediffmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
