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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:
- "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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Jessica Bell" <_loulou_@talk21.com>
Reply-To: foreignpayfud@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2012 16:08:15 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Happy Easter
Attn; Please,
Let
us start by wishing you a Happy Easter to you in Advance, How ever we
want to sincerely say this to you now that we are highly disappointed at
you for such low thinking of yours
because we all know that the funds ($15.5 Million US Dollars) is
legally yours which have been approved in your good favor.
But that is not enough reason for you to change the beneficiary
ownership without informing us of the change of ownership which we just received a new account which you just sent in now.
The
problem with this new account is that it does not bear your name as the
beneficiary but it bears a name of your next of kin by name Calvin
Wright.
His names and address is very different from yours and we
have also been informed by your next of kin that you are unable to make
complete claim of your $15.5 million us dollars which you next of kin
also informed us that you instructed him to pay the transfer service
charge/ITCR and receive your fund.
How ever we have successfully
completed verifications on your fund transfer today to your next of kin
Calvin Wright today to confirm the legitimate release of your $15.5
million us dollars payment into your new bank account below
Bank Name: Bank of America
Routing & Swift Code: 111000753
Account Number: 7002173800
Beneficiary: Calvin Wright
We have now called on the Director of Operations Foreign
Affairs Department of there awareness of your next of kin and the new
account details but they have denied the knowledge of your next of kin
and the new account.
Therefore, we are highly biased as who to
trust or pay as such we want to verify and confirm authoritatively
before we make the payment of the $15.5 million us dollars out.
Do you still wish to have your $15.5 million us dollars released into the new account of Calvin Wright above?
Let us know by email immediately before it is late today. We shall work on the new change of ownership of the
whole funds to this man once we hear and confirm from you.
Thank you.
Sincerely Yours In Service,
Mrs. Jessica Bell.
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