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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:
- "transfer of your funds" (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)
- "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
- "ecowas " (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: "Gen. Kufour Addo" <Generalkuffouraddo@accraghana.com>
Reply-To: temaharbour5@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2011 10:33:42 -0600 (MDT)
Subject: confirm your partner
UNITED NATIONS HEAD OFFICE
Inquiries and Fund Monitoring Unit
HUMANITARIAN AFFAIR.
Accra Ghana.
Attn; Beneficiary.
Following the meeting held with the Ecowas ruling bodies to track down
Torrorism funding,Internet Criminals,
Etc. Ecowas Has Approve the sum of $3.6 Million as part payment to all
beneficiaries whose names appeared on our list, and you are among the 17
persons who will receive the said amount through our online system of
banking with GTB bank of Ghana, I was surprise as you send Dr.Jimmy
Goldman for the claim of your funds as you stated on your document but I
want you to confirm him before I give him GTB bank details to your
assigned partner .
You are advice to send me your full details which I will forward to the
new assigned bank for your urgent transfer of your funds.
You must stop any other transaction as all your telephone calls will be
monitored till we finally finish with you to avoid any further problem as
we follow your transaction legally.
Get back to me to enable me give you the full details of GTBank for open
communication quickly.
If you have any other transaction here in the West Africa Sub region fill
free to contact me for urgent verification.
Regards.
Gen,A.Kufour.
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Anti-fraud resources:
