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)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "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: "Usman Lawson" <usmanahmedlawson518@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: direct_access2usmanlawson@yahoo.fr
Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:34:55 +0100
Subject: RE:- PAYMENT AUTHENTICATION


FROM THE OFFICE OF DIRECTOR OF FINANCE (NNPC)
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT
TINUBU SQUARE, VICTORIA ISLAND,
LAGOS-NIGERIA.
NNPC CONTRACT #: MAV/NNPC/FGN/MIN/009, SWIFT CODE: BPH KPL PK, OUR
REF: NNPC/IRD/NNX/21/08



WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY OF YOUR PAYMENT AND ALL THE INCONVENIENCES WE
MIGHT HAVE PUT YOU THROUGH, MEAN WHY WE WERE HAVING SOME MINOR PROBLEMS WITH
OUR PAYMENT SYSTEM WHICH IN ALL CASE NOT MEETING UP WITH FOREIGN PAYMENT, WE
APOLOGIZE ONCE AGAIN.

FROM THE RECORDS OF OUTSTANDING CONTRACTORS DUE PAYMENT WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA, YOUR NAME AND COMPANY WAS DISCOVERED AS NEXT ON THE
LIST OF THE (13) OUTSTANDING CONTRACTORS WHO HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED THEIR
PAYMENTS DURING THE (8) YEARS TENURE OF THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION IN
OFFICES PLEASE BEAR WITH US FOR MAKING THE INITIAL CONTACT THROUGH EMAIL.

MEANWHILE, A WOMAN CAME TO MY OFFICE A FEW DAYS AGO WITH A LETTER, CLAIMING
TO BE YOUR TRUE REPRESENTATIVE. HERE IS HER INFORMATIONS BELOW:

NAME ANNE ROBINSON
BANK NAME: CITIBANK, ARIZONA, USA.
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 6503809008.

PLEASE, DO RECONFIRM TO THIS OFFICE, AS A MATTER OF URGENCY IF THIS WOMAN IS
FROM YOU SO THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR
PAYING INTO THE WRONG ACCOUNT NAME. IF THIS WOMAN IS NOT YOUR REP, YOU ARE
REQUESTED TO FILL AND SEND THIS INFORMATIONS FOR VERIFICATIONS PURPOSES SO
THAT YOUR FUND, VALID (USD 12.5MILLION) WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO YOU.

KINDLY RE-CONFIRM THE FOLLOWINGS TO THIS OFFICE:

1) YOUR FULL NAME:
2) PHONE, FAX AND MOBILE NO:
3) COMPANY NAME:
4) PROFESSION, AND MARITAL STATUS:
5) WORKING ID? I/NT'L PASSPORT:

AS SOON AS THESE INFORMATIONS ARE RECEIVED, YOUR PAYMENT WILL BE MADE TO YOU
IN THIS SECOND QUARTER PAYMENT OF THE YEAR. HOWEVER; WE SHALL PROCEED TO
ISSUE ALL PAYMENT DETAILS TO THE SAID MRS.ANNE ROBINSON, IF WE DO NOT HEAR
FROM YOU WITHIN THE NEXT THREE WORKING DAYS FROM TODAY.

WE ARE SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THE DELAY IN YOUR PAYMENT MIGHT HAVE
CAUSED YOU.

BEST REGARDS.
DR USMAN LAWSON.
(NNPC DIRECTOR OF FINANCE)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam