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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:
- "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)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- ibenwa@mail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Dr Ibe Nwa" <ibe8@datafull.com>
Reply-To: ibe2@datafull.com
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2013 08:49:02 -0400
Subject: Dr Ibe Nwa
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
NNPC Towers
Crude and contract award verification unit NNPC
Nigeria Lagos
Email:ibenwa@mail.com
I am Dr. Ibe Nwa director of Crude and contract award verification unit
controller with Nigeria National Petroleum cooperation {NNPC} .I
deliberately over invoiced the sum of sixty eighty million dollars {68m}
dollar during contract and supply services by foreign contractors in our
unit.
My contacting you base that the original contractor has been fully paid.
I want to use your position to stand as the real contractor whose bill is
ready for payment in our unit now, so that this over invoice of 68m$ will
be credited into the account your provide, then I come for an investment
plan arrangement.
You have to provide me with your company full contact Or your full contact
address, which will be file in as the executor of the completed project
whose outstanding bill of 68m is ready for payment. You will have some %
as we proceed with the transaction complete into your approved account.
Note that all legal documents covering this 68m
will be process in your favor legally.
No risk is attached with this transaction.
Awaiting
Dr. Ibe Nwa
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Anti-fraud resources:
