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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "transferred into your bank account" (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)
- "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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Ibrahim Abubakar" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mr.ibrahim.abubakar211@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 18:45:35 +0100
Subject: HELLO FRIEND
Dear Friend
Please don't be surprise to receiving this mail, I was appointed to pay all the foreign contractors that executed contract here in River State,after paying all the contractors, this amount of money was remaining in our custody, I decided to contact and present you as one of the contract beneficiaries so that I can transfer some part of the contract entitlement fund into your bank account What I require is utmost co-operation as this transaction involves a very large sum of money.
The money is 12 million dollars but I want to transfer 6 million dollars into a foreign account and return the remaining to Federal Government this is why I have decided to contact you to see if you will assist in the transaction as I have a very short period left to conclude with this contract payment proceedings.In conclusion friend we are going to share the money after it transferred into your bank account in your country.
Thanks and Bless
Mr.Ibrahim Abubakar
************************Internet Email Confidentiality Footer*******************
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the organization or individual to whom they are addressed. It is expressly forbidden to retransmit or copy email and/or this attached files without our permission . If you are not the addressee indicated in this message (or responsible for delivery of the message to such person), you may not copy or deliver this message to anyone. In such case, you should destroy this message and kindly notify the sender by reply email.
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Anti-fraud resources:
