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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:
- "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)
- ",500,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
- 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.
- oceaniccentredept@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Ms.Inga-britt Ahlen" <diamondbankplc04@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: oceaniccentredept@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:07:01 +0100 (BST)
Subject: ATM VISA CARD VALUE $2.5M (ATM CODE -0811)
Attention: Dear Beneficiary,
This is to bring to your notice that after the Benin Republic Election crisis few months ago, the new GOVERNMENT AND ORGANIZATION OF AFRICA LEADERS (O.A.L) re-searched the International payment File contracts which supposed to pay the people won it before the Election started and dropped it back, then in the process of the re-searching the contract Files we discovered that you among those that not yet receive their payment which signed for you in amount of Two Million Five hundred thousand United States Dollars only ($2,500,000.00), and we are processing the transaction with the OCEANIC BANK ATM CARD PAYMENT SERVICE DEPARTMENT.
You are therefore advice to contact the OCEANIC BANK ATM CARD PAYMENT SERVICE DEPARTMENT MANAGER.
MR.MARK WOOD.
Telephone number: +229-9890 3545.
EMAIL address: oceaniccentredept@gmail.com
Call Mr.Mark Wood on the phone and tell him that you received a message from the ORGANIZATION AFRICA OF LEADERS Instructing him to send you the ATM MASTER CARD in any ATM SERVICE MACHINE in any part of the world . also sends him your receiver contact address where you want him to send the ATM master CARD to you as it has listed below.
1. YOUR FULL NAME_____________
2. HOME ADDRESS_________________
3. HOME/OFFICE TELEPHONE_______
4. YOUR OCCUPATION_______________
5. SEX & AGE _______________________
6. A COPY OF YOUR ID________________
Thanks and Regards
MRS. INGA-BRITT AHLEN.
SECRETARY GENERAL
ORGANIZATION AFRICA OF LEADERS (O.A.L)
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Anti-fraud resources:
