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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:
- "below is the details of " (this email uses bad English)
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- alhajiidris@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <alhajiidris@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:55:19 +0100
Subject: ARE YOU DEAD OR ALIVE
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
DIRECTOR:ALH IDRIS ADDULLAHI
DIRECT LINE:+234-8025963663
DIRECT EMAIL:alhajiidris@hotmail.com
DATE:13/10/2011
Attn:,
A power of attorney was forwarded to my office this Morning by two gentle men ,one of them is a Philipino National and he
is ENGR.GILBERT M. USON by name while the other person is Mr.JACK MORGAN by name and a CANADIAN National.
These gentlemen claimed to be the representative of your company and this power of Attorney stated that you have dead and they provided an account to replace your information and claimed your fund of US$10.5M which is right now lying DORMANT
and UNCLAIMED with the Central Bank of Nigeria.Below is the details of the new details provided for the remittance of the
above Funds US$10.5M (Ten Million,Five Hundred United States Dollars)
BANK: BPI BANK QUEZON AVE,
DELTA BRANCH QUEZON CITY , PHILIPINES
ACCOUNT NO: 2984000866
SWIFT CODE. BOPIPHMM
Be further informed that this power of attorney also stated that you suffered and died of a Heart Cancer. You are
therefore given 24 hours to confirm the truth in this information if you are still alive by a telephone o email to this Central Bank of Nigeria before we expedict action on the release of the above funds to the details provided to us above.
Regards.
ALH IDRIS ADDULLAHI.
Central Bank of Nigeria
DIRECT LINE:+234-8025963663
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Anti-fraud resources:
