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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:
- "your payment is being processed" (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.
- 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.
- ngozijonh@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Mr Ngozi John <wgfsdghdfsgh@att.net>
Reply-To: ngozijonh@yahoo.fr
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:56:23 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: confirm if you are ALIVE.
confirm if you are ALIVE.
Attn. Beneficiary
Did you authorize one Mr.J Dennis? to meet us as your representatives. With documents of claim purported to have been signed by you for the released of your
payment of US $10,450.000.00 (Ten Million Four Hundred and fifty Thousand United States Dollars).Because your money has been approved already for Payment by the Federal Ministry of Finance.
However, we received an email from one Mr. J.Dennis who told us that he is your Next of kin and that you are dead.Reconfirm back to us to avoid any irregularities, asyour money is now ready to be transferred to you. With the instruction given to us. By the Accountant General of the Federation and the international monitoring fund (IMF) incollaboration with the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) topay all foreigners thir outstanding payment.
I wish to inform you that your payment is being processed and will be released to you as soon as you reconfirm your payment details so that we can authenticate your claim legally and then payment. He has also submitted his account for us to transfer the fund to him. We want to hear from you before we can make the transfer to confirm if you are ALIVE.We hereby officially notifying you about the present arrangement to pay you, your over due fund.
With all the above information your money will be sent to you as the real beneficiary. Get back to me immediately for more directives on how you will receive your payment without futher
delay.
Mailto: ngozijonh@yahoo.fr
Yours Sincerely
Ngozi John
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Anti-fraud resources:
