419 scam: "Gowon Yusuf"<gowonyusuff@live.co.uk> Lets accomplish this business together.

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
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.
- +2347051258494

Fraud email example:

From: "Gowon Yusuf" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <gowonyusuf@live.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 5 Dec 2009 08:25:02 -0800
Subject: Lets accomplish this business together.

From: The Desk of Gowon Yusuf
Secretary, Contract Tender Board (CTD)
Nigerian National Petroleum Incorporation (NNPC)
Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Attention friend,

I represent the Oil rich sector of the Nigerian Economy, the Nigerian National Petroleum Incorporation (NNPC) of which I am the secretary of the Contract Tender Board vested with the power to award and screen contractors and to validate past contracts awarded by the NNPC from 2004 to date and recommend same for urgent payment also.

During contractor’s validation several contracts were discovered to have been inaccurately over-invoiced by past directors. The total over-invoice sum amounts to $200 Million USD. This funds has been floating since 2004 unnoticed by anyone else. But the Federal government has recently released funds for the payment of all overdue contract entitlements with this amount inclusive. However, arrangements have been concluded by us to pay this money into a foreign trust account because as members of this committee, we cannot physically claim the money alone. Hence this contact to you, to solicit your corporation and support in provide us with a viable bank account that can receive this payment on our behalf.

If you can provide an account that can receive this money, we are willing to offer you 30% of the total $200 Million USD for providing us with your services while you will hold the balance 70% in an account for us. But if you are linking an account owner then we will offer you 10% while the account holder gets 20%.

With your cooperation we are willing to use our influence to approve payment of the said amount in your favour for our mutual benefit. There is no risk involved as the modalities have been carefully worked out. If you forward to us your Names, Telephone (Mobile phone) numbers, we will be able to reach you to brief you further on this matter after which the funds will be transferred directly into your provided bank account.

Reply us urgently via telephone or email and lets discuss the modalities.

Yours,
Gowon Yusuf
Secretary, Contract Tender Board (CTD)
Direct Line: +234 705 125 8494

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam