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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:
- 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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "with your full names" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- +447017437192 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
Fraud email example:
From: "PETER MARRIOTT" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mmrpetermarriott45@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2011 23:59:36 -0800
Subject: DIRECTOR BRITISH FINANCE MONITORING UNIT.
THE BRITISH FINANCE MONITORING UNIT
LONDON, ENGLAND
TELEPHONE: (44) 7017437192
>From the Desk Of Peter Marriott
Office Of The Director
British Finance Monitoring Unit.
I have been waiting for you to contact me for your international bank draft of ($2.5M)Two Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars.I have not heard from you so i went down and deposited it in a Finance House.
The reason for the payment is because your Name was listed among the scam victims and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) in conjunction the united nations and the British funds monitoring team are compensating all scam victims of Contracts/Inheritance claims and lottery Winning funds all over the world.
We do hereby ask you to contact this office immediately with your Full Names/contact address/Occupation/international Passport or Driver's Lincense/Telephone and fax numbers for the release of your funds within the 3 days of this notice or consider your fund confiscated.
We appreciate your urgent co-operation.
25- 02 - 2011
PETER MARRIOTT
DIRECTOR BRITISH FINANCE MONITORING UNIT.
Peter Marriott
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Anti-fraud resources:
