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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "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.
  
• 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.
  • drbenudo022@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Ben Udo" <infoudoben7@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2008 15:57:22 +0100
Subject: FROM Dr.BEN UDO


FROM Dr.BEN UDO
Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas
Lagos Central Office Nigeria.
E-mail(drbenudo022@gmail.com)

Dear Friend,

I wish to intimate you with this proposal in my capacity as Chief Accountant
& Auditor-General of the above named Company, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas
(NLNG). After a thorough scrutiny of the records of Accounts of all Awarded
and Executed contracts of this company (NLNG) during the previous military
regime, I carefully mapped out an over-invoiced sum of USD$16.5 million
Dollars which I intend to transfer to your account as the beneficiary. The
contract was valued at $86.5 (Eighty six million, five hundred thousand
United States dollars) and was awarded with reference number:

(NLNG//FMF/CBN/B2517/99). The contract has since been completed while the
original Contractors has fully received their contract value of $70 million
dollars leaving the balance of $16.5 million as over-invoice.

This balance of $16.5 million dollars has been approved for payment by NLNG
& the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF) including the Accountant General of
the Federation (AGF) through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). As a public
servant, I am not allowed to operate foreign bank account hence; my decision
to contact you to receive this money on my behalf for onward disbursement
among us. With my position as Chief Accountant & Auditor-General of this
company NLNG, I will regularize and update the approvals of this payment to
reflect your name as the true beneficiary of the over-invoiced sum of
USD$16.5 million dollars. There is no risk attached to this business
because, I'm here to back-up our claim. I have resolved to give you 30% of
the total sum for your assistance. If you are interested in this deal,
please contact me through my email address below while I need the following
details from you to enable me process the payment in your name.

1. YOUR FULL NAME
2. YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS
3. YOUR TELEPHONE & FAX NUMBER
4. YOUR BANK A/C NUMBER AND THE NAME OF YOUR BANK,
5. YOUR COMPANY NAME IF ANY

I am anxiously waiting for your response and please send your response to
this email address:(drbenudo022@gmail.com)

Sincerely,

Dr.Ben Udo.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam