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joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
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"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:
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "info@intercontinentalbank.tk" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- 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.
- 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.
- bankintercontinental67@yahoo.fr (Yahoo, France; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "United Nation" <email_contact@sify.com>
Reply-To: teresa_adkins@rocketmail.com
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:58:51 +0100
Subject: FROM UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION
UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION
Africa Ronal Office Nigeria
Office Of The Director Special duties.
Map of UN member states
and their UN-recognized dependencies
Economic Community of West African States
RE-CHANGE OF ACCOUNT.
I am DR Teresa Adkins sthe newly appointed Director United Nation Legal
Affairs, Security and Investigation, In African Region. Due to high debt
profile within West African Sub Region I met with Head States of ECOWAS
(Economic Community of West African States) The Executive Arms of the
government, has directed me to come down to Nigeria to Investigate your
fund and to make sure that we approve all outstanding debts owned to
Foreign beneficiaries by the Goverment of ECOWAS especially NIGERIA in
this FIRST quarter of this fiscal year 2010.
Contact bank : Intercontinental bank plc
Person contact: Rev Paul Adams
Email: bankintercontinental67@yahoo.fr
Email: info@intercontinentalbank.tk
TEL:+2348051044008
This decision was taken based on the abnormities and inability of the
BANKS in NIGERIA and other ECOWAS Nations to Release your fund into your
bank account Whereby it was discovered that some Directors Bank were
diverting foreign beneficiaries payment to another account of their choice
overseas. In view of this, during our investigation I found out that an
account was submitted to divert your fund to a Germany account.
Below is the account submitted and I want you to confirm if you are aware
of the new development because we are about effecting payment to the
account stated bellow today.
Beneficiary: CERSTIN WENGER SHENOUDA
Bank: FRANKFURTER BANK A/C No.: 367840545
Code: 50050201
Finally, be informed that a payment instruction has been issued and
forwarded to the Treasury Department of the INTERCONTINENTAL BANK PLC in
your favor for immediate release of your fund to the account above without
any further prejudice. But there is no way we can approve the fund to your
account without you conferment if you have changed your account for your
fund to be transfer to the Beneficiary: CERSTIN WENGER SHENOUDA BANK
ACCOUNT IN GERMANY.
Contact Intercontinental Bank Plc immediately for further clarification.
to know if you have giving instruction to transfer your fund to the above
account today.
If you fail to contact the bank today before 48hrs from now the Funds
will be wire the fund to the German account. Note we have instruct the
bank to credit your fund in atm vias card for easy deliver. So that it
will will not cost you much money for transfer.
Thanks for your co-operation.
Yours faithfully
DR Teresa Adkins
Un Office of Legal Affairs
Security and Investigation
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