joewein.de LLC fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter! Free trial for 30 days

"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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.

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "outstanding contractors" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "your payment is being processed" (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)
  • "million 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)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "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.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Ngdata Office" <ngdataoffice@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: drjamesiloh@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 12:58:25 +0000
Subject: REMINDER:YOUR PAYMENT RELEASE STATUS

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
TINUBU SQUARE,VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS-NIGERIA
(OFFICE OF THE HEAD,DATA OFFICE)
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT
CENTRAL BANK NIGERIA
Our Ref: CBN/IRD/CBX/021/06

IMMEDIATE CONTRACT PAYMENT NOTIFICATION MAV/FGN/MIN/009.

Attn:Honorable Contractor,
>From the records of outstanding contractors due for payment with the federal
government of Nigeria, your name was discovered as
next on the list of the outstanding vendors contractors who have not
received their payments.

Your name appeared in the secured Data Chamber of the foreign remittance
office of the Apex Bank.

I wish to inform you that your payment is being processed and will be
released to you as soon as you respond to this letter. Firstly, I plead on
behalf of my country and the Central Bank Of Nigeria for not contacting you
all this while for your contract payment which I know by now must have cost
you some inconveniences. I am promising you on behalf of the Central Bank Of
Nigeria that this will not repeat it self any more. I advice you to
co-operate with us and listen to our advice as the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) will not be held responsible for any lapses or mis-direction of
your fund due to your refusal to take our instructions.

Note that from the record in our Bank Data Chamber,your outstanding contract
payment with us is USD10million dollars (Ten Million United States
dollars)only. Please re-confirm if this is inline with what you have in your
record and also re-confirm the followings;

1) Your Full Name.
2) Phone, Fax And Mobile #.
3) Company Name, Position And Address.
4) Profession, Age And Marital Status.
5) Copy Of Int‘l Passport or normal ID.
6) Your Full Banking Details

As soon as these information are received, your payment will be made to you
either by diplomatic cash delivery or wired to your bank account directly
from central bank of Nigeria or any of her offshore affiliate bank. You are
advised to respond immediately as soon as you receive this letter for
action to be taken on your payment.
Best regards.

Mr.James Iloh.
Head,Data Information Office,
Central Bank of Nigeria.


--

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam