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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "consignment " (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.
- 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.
- consigemabassy@mail2world.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Dr DAVID ALGOOD" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <algood@blumail.org>
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2011 03:22:01 -0800
Subject: finance monitoring & Intelligent unit
>From the Desk Of Dr David Algood.
Office Of The Director Information,
British finance monitoring & Inteligent unit.
DEAR SIR
WE WISH TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR FUND payment WHICH WAS MOVED ABROAD FOR PAYMENT TO YOU FROM THERE HAVE FINALLY RETURNED BACK HER THREE DAYS AGO.YOU HEREBY ADVICE TO STOP ANY FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH ANY BODY WHATEVER IN REGARDS OF THIS YOUR FUND PAYMENT TO AVIOD CONFUSING.
BE INFORMED FURTHER THAT CASH PAYMENT OF US$1O.5M HAS ASSIGNED TO BE PAY TO YOU BY BRING THE MONEY CASH TO YOU .THIS FUND HAS PACKED INTO THE LUGGAGE & SEALED TODAY AND READY TO SHIP AS CONSIGNMENT VIA EMBASSY COURIER.
THE SECRET DIAL LOCK KEY NUMBERS TO OPEN YOUR BOX IS 5044.LET THIS KEY NUMBERS ONLY KNOWN BY YOU ALONE.THIS IS FOR SECURITY REASON OF THE MONEY INSIDE THE LUGGAGE.EVEN I DID NOT DISCLOSE BOTH KEYS NUMBER & THE CONTENT OF THE BOX TO REV.JOSEF SCHNARE AT THE EMBASSY.THEREFORE NO ANY CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD YOU LET ANYONE KNEW TRUE CONTENTS OF THIS LUGGAGE.AND WHAT IS DECLARE TO THEM WAS YOUR PERSONAL EFFECT WHILE YOU WERE IN THE COUNTRY NIGERIA
NOTE THAT THIS YOUR LUGGAGE WERE LOCK-UP AND THEN PUT IN STEEL IRON BOX.ITS WEIGHING 37KG
YOU HEREBY ADVICE TO SEND YOUR FULL ADDRESS TO THE ATTACHED EMBASSY COURIER ON
EMAIL ; consigemabassy@mail2world.com
TEL; +447700074744
CONTACT ; REV.JOSEF SCHNARE FOR ONWARDS DELIVERY TO YOUR ADDRESS .
THANK YOU,
David Algood ,
BRITISH FINANCE MONITORING & INTELIGENT UNIT
LONDON
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Anti-fraud resources:
