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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "offshore account" (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)
• 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.
  • +2348063552452 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Engr. Raja Alkbar" <engr.raja_private_16@hotmail.comuk>
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:16:57 -1200
Subject: REPLY

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Engr. Raja Akbar, of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Co-operation (NNPC). With the assistance of some senior
official of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal
Ministry of Finance, we want to quietly transfer the sum of
$21.5m from NNPC offshore account with Central Bank of
Nigria (CBN) to an oversea account.

This $21.5 Million arose from over-invoicing of contract
receipts for the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the three
housing oil refineries in Kaduna, Delta and Port Harcourt
here in Nigeria and also the rehabilitation of Petroleum
pipelines, depot and Jetties.

The Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum
resources have approved the total value of $280m, and the
payment of foreign contractors from Japan, France and U.S.A.
has already started, because most part of the work for the
Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) has been fully Completed.

We will use your company as a consultant and job costing
contractor to NNPC so that the $21.5m can be transferred to
your account without any hitch whatsoever.

If you are interested in assisting us in this transaction,
please contact me immediately to enable us discuss further
details for the successful completion of this transaction.


Best Regards.
Engr. Raja Akbar.
Phone +234 806 355 2452.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam