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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:
- "clearance certificate" (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. )
- "western union" (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. )
- "money gram" (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. )
- "clearance certificate" (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. )
- "million us 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)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
Fraud email example:
From: Federal Executive Council <boylerocks@sbcglobal.net>
Reply-To: foreignpayfud@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 05:00:47 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Mrs. Helen Allen (FEC)
ACCOUNTS SECTION:
Mrs. Helen Allen
Finance Attache/Head of Section
Ext.1051
A VERY GOOD MORNING TO YOU AND HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY?
WE
WANT TO BRING TO YOUR KIND AND HUMBLE NOTICE THAT A NEW BOARD OF
DIRECTOR'S HAVE NOW TAKEN OVER THE AFFAIRS OF THIS OFFICE AND DURING OUR
AUDITING WE FOUND OUT THAT YOUR FUND WORTH THE TOTAL SUM OF $15.5
MILLION US DOLLARS IS YET TO BE PAID TO YOU, THIS WAS A SHOCKING NEWS US
AND A REVELATION TO THE NEW BOARD OF DIRECTOR'S.
ON
OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THIS REVELATION A LENGTHY MEETING WAS HELD IMMEDIATELY
BY THE NEW
BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON YOUR BEHALF AND IT WAS DECIDED IN YOUR OWN FAVOR
AND BEST INTEREST TO REDUCE ALL REQUIRED PAYMENT FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF
YOUR CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP CERTIFICATE AND YOUR INHERITANCE RELEASE
APPROVAL CLEARANCE CERTIFICATES FOR YOUR OVER DUE TRANSFER WORTH $15.5
MILLION TO ONLY THE SUM OF $80 SO THAT YOU CAN MEET UP WITH THE PAYMENT
SO THAT YOUR TRANSFER CAN BE EFFECTED AND RELEASED TO YOU INTO ANY BANK
ACCOUNT OF YOUR CHOICE WHERE EVER IN THE WORLD THAT YOU CHOOSE.
PLEASE
IT WILL ALSO INTEREST YOU TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE EQUALLY PLEADED ON YOUR
BEHALF FOR A TIME EXTENSION OF 24HOURS SO THAT YOU CAN BE ABLE TO MEET
UP WITH THE PAYMENT SO WE CAN CLEAR,RELEASE AND EFFECT YOUR FUND WORTH
$15.5M US IN OUR CARE TO ANY BANK ACCOUNT OF YOUR CHOICE.
IN
YOUR RECEIPT OF THIS E-MAIL NOW WE PLEAD WITH YOU TO ENSURE YOU MAKE
ARRANGEMENT OF THE FEE AND PAY THE $80 WITHIN 24HOURS THROUGH EITHER
WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER OR MONEY GRAM MONEY TRANSFER TO THE BELOW
INFORMATION AND SEND BACK THE PAYMENT DETAILS IMMEDIATELY IN OTHER TO
ENABLE US COMMENCE WITH THE PROCUREMENT OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED
CERTIFICATES AND CONCLUDE YOUR TRANSFER WITHIN 24HOURS.
SENDERS NAME:
SENDERS ADDRESS:
TEXT QUESTION: BLUE
TEXT ANSWER: CLOUD
AMOUNT: $80
M.T.C.N NUMBER:
RECEIVERS NAME: EKE FAVOUR
RECEIVERS ADDRESS: LAGOS STATE / NIGERIA
ONCE
YOU PAY THE FEE NOW AS ADVISED YOU ABOVE BE REST ASSURED THAT YOU WILL
NEVER REGRET PAYING THE FEE, THIS IS A PROMISE TO YOU AFTER ALL YOUR
PAINS AND UNWARRANTED LOOSES INCURRED BY YOU IN THE PAST.
CONFIRM
THE RECEIPT OF THIS E-MAIL BY YOU IMMEDIATELY AND BE REST ASSURED THAT
YOU WILL BE SMILING TO YOUR BANK ONCE YOU COMPLY WITH THE ABOVE
DIRECTIVES NOW.
WE ARE HERE TO SERVE YOU AS OUR WORD IS OUR ASSURANCE BOND TO YOU.
RESPOND BACK IMMEDIATELY.
MRS.HELEN ALLEN.
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