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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:
- "we advice you" (this email uses bad English)
- "diplomatic agent" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "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.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <cbnlamidoffice@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003 11:27:51 -0700
Subject: Greeting in the name of our lord Jesus Christ.
Kindly Attn:Beneficiary,
Greeting in the name of our lord Jesus Christ.
Did you authorized Mr Howard and Mr James came to our office today to claimed your contract fund payment US$10.7m on your behalf while you are sick because they told us that you are sick, if you did not authorized them all you have to do re-confirm to us your payment information’s where to deliver your fund payment by our diplomatic agent or transfer/
(1)Your full Name:
(2) Telephone#:
(3) Address#:
(4)Your Age:
(5) Marriage stute
(6) Bank account:
(7) Next of Kin:
(8)a copy of your identify card or international passport,
Fall to give us all this information’s we will make your fund payment to the authorized/
we will not be responsibility over your fund payment again and you will not hold us on responsibility over the lost of your fund payment because you did not co-operate with us now the payment is release to pay you. We advice you to get back to us immediately to avoid any mistake over your fund payment.
Thanks.
Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi
Central Bank oF Nigeria
Head Foreign Contractors Fund Payment
Remittance Department Federal Government Nigeria.
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Anti-fraud resources:
