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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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:
- "you are required to pay " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "diplomatic courier" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- unionbank20008@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: FROM SENATE <gttu@att.net>
Reply-To: unionbank20008@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 10:05:32 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: FROM SENATE PAYMENT NOTIFICATION BY ATM CARD
FROM SENATOR ADAMS ONU
CHAIRMAN SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN DEBTS
ATTN FUND BENEFICARY
BE INFORM THAT FOLLOWING REPORT REACHING THIS COMMITTEE THAT YOU WHERE UNABLE TO RECEIVE YOUR FUND BECAUSE BANKING CHARGES BEEN IMPOSE ON YOU, NOTE THAT BECAUSE OF THIS URGELY DEVELOPMENT THE SENATE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA HAS MANDATED AND EMPOWER THE UNION BANK PLC TO RELEASE YOUR PAYMENT BY ATM CARD
FURTHERMORE NOTE THAT YOUR FUND HAS BEEN PROGRAMM INTO ATM CARD BY UNION BANK PLC AND YOUR ATM CARD HAS BEEN ISSSUED ON YOUR NAME
SO IN REGARDS TO THIS GOOD ARRAGEMENT YOU ARE STRONGLY ADVICE TO CONTACT THE MANAGING DIRECTOR UNION BANK PLC FUNKE ABIDOYE ON HIS EMAIL: unionbank20008@gmail.com AND FORWARD HIM YOUR RECEIVEING ADDRESS FOR THE IMMEDIATE DISPACH OF YOUR ATM CARD TO YOUR NOMINATED ADDRESS WITHOUT ANY DELAY
ALSO NOTE THAT THE ONLY FEE YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PAY BEFORE YOU RECEIVE YOUR ATM CARD IS $150 FOR THE DELIVERY FEE OF YOUR ATM CARD TO ENABLE UNION BANK DISPACH YOUR ATM CARD BY A DIPLOMATIC COURIER SERVICE,NOTE THAT AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE YOUR ATM CARD YOU CAN MAKE WITHDRAWAL OF YOUR PAYMENT IN ANY ATM MACHINE ANY WHERE IN THE WORD
THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING
REGARDS
SENATOR ADAMS ONU
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Anti-fraud resources:
