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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.
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Josephe Mkama" <cloud_tjy@att.net>
Reply-To: "Mr. Josephe Mkama" <mkicheal0@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 09:14:02 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: CONTRACT!!!
Listen and listen very attentively!!!.
I am Mr. Linus Mbiri, IMF Payment Database Analyst and Investigation Dept . I noticed these abnormalities/irregularities in your payment file last week when I was going through several out-going and called-in payment files on my payment desk.
I have decided to contact you through this important medium because your payment has been intercepted. I stopped it as result of fraudulent activities I noticed among those that claimed to be helping you to receive your approved payment. All your efforts to receive your funds from the beginning till now has proved abortive because your friend who promised to help you to recieve your payment is not sincere to you. All he is trying to do with his group is to use your name and intercept and divert your funds into another account that neither bears your name nor known to you.
I'm contacting you on trust and with absolute confidence that you should as a matter of utmost importance pay attention to this particular e-mail from me and stop any further contact/communication to anybody ,group or indivial because apart from me, no other person is in the position to help get your approved funds transferred to your account in your country.
If you listen to me and follow my advice I promise to put all logistics in place and all modalities worked out for a smooth actualization of your transaction and transfer of your approved funds into your account in your country without any problem within the next few working days of commencement of the project provided you stick to my own advice and instructions.
REQUIREMENTS:
I want you to contact me urgently upon receipt of this mail today. I will personally get any complications/abnormalities/irregularities caused by him corrected using my good office as soon as possible and ensure a successful transfer of all the funds into your account without any problem.
MY CONDITIONS:
1. After using my good office/position to accomplish the needful on your behalf, you shall give me 1% only of the total fund after the fund is transferred into your account.
2. I will prefer that you keep my involvement 100% secret and confidential even after the transfer is executed.
This is the only reliable channel for you to receive your approved payment otherwise all other efforts must be in vain.
A stitch in time they say saves nine
Regards,
Mr. Linus Mbiri
IMF Payment Database Analyst and Investigation Dept,
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Anti-fraud resources:
