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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "transfer of your funds" (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.
  • +2348066595379 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Lawrence Amadi" <ndic_lawrenceamadi1@me.by>
Reply-To: ndic_claims@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 19:01:03 +0100
Subject: Dear Sir/ Ma From Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).


*Dear Sir/ Ma,

I am Mr. Lawrence Amadi, the Director of inheritance / contract claims
investigation at the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

We have currently been investigating your claim under the auspices of the
Joint Regulatory Commission of the Presidency and NDIC.

Incidentally, we have discovered during the course of the investigation that
the agencies that were responsible for your claim settlement have lost
credibility. This is because the credit facility extended to them for the
said payment has since expired, and as a result of that, they are unable to
offset your fund. They have resorted to charging you all forms of fees and
advance payments to no avail.

NDIC, being the agency responsible for underwriting the guarantee for your
claim has therefore, called for the retransmittal of your funds from
offshore credit. Under the Joint Regulatory Commission, we have appointed a
sole fiduciary agent that will handle the transfer of your funds through a
direct wire transfer option to your bank account as you may nominate.

By this arrangement, you are not required to travel to anywhere outside
your country before your funds reach your account. Your funds originated
from a legitimate claim here. It is not possible for you to be paid from
anywhere else outside here. You must therefore, stop your contact with those
people claiming to have access to your funds with immediate effect.

We are working under the auspices of the Joint Regulatory Commission, and
we intend to speed up the process of your claim settlement.

Call me immediately on my direct telephone: +234 806 6595379, so that we
can discuss the details of the direct wire transfer arrangement.

We await your response.

Yours faithfully,

Lawrence Amadi
N.D.I.C.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam