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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:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "cost of transfer" (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. )
- "bank charges " (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. )
- "to your nominated bank account" (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)
- "million united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- "foreign payment department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "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.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
Fraud email example:
From: Zenith Bank <zenith_bank_plc@ymail.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2012 06:44:39 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: RE: DID YOU DELEGATE ANYBODY TO CLAIM YOUR FUND ON YOUR BEHALF?
ZENITH BANK PLC
23 AWOLOWO ROAD IKOYI
LAGOS NIGERIA
EMIAL;zbank@ymail.com
PAYMENT NOTIFICATION / FINAL ORDER.
Attn :Beneficiary.
This is to draw your attention that your fund worth $15.5million united state dollars is still lying in suspense account with the ZENITH BANK PLC. Which Nigerian government authorized us to effect payment on their behalf is now ready for payment; the only problem now is that we dictated a lot of irregularities involvements attached to your payment file.
(1) Did you at any time delegate any body not even from your family to claim your fund on your behalf?
(2) Were you involved in a motor accident?
(3) Are you aware or related to one Mr. Thomas Baker from your country?
Please reconfirm and answer the above questions because one Mr. Thomas Baker came to our foreign payment department and submitted an application that you Authorized your fund to be paid into the account of UNION Bank OF Switzerland (UBS) with Account number UBS-A943BDG99.then the one you earlier submitted for your payment with a report that you are now paralyzed as a result of the ghastly motor accident you had last month.
Infact after processing the application by Mr. Barker himself which he made known to us that he came from you, he succeeded in paying all the bank charges that you are supposed to pay so as to make sure that we effect this transfer payment as quickly as possible without any further delay. All duplicate copies of his payment receipt are attached to your file. He has made part payment for the cost of transfer and stamps duties and other miscellaneous duty fees all amounting to $15,000.00.
The delay in the transfer is from us now just because we requested for a power of attorney from him, which is authorizing him to pursue this payment. He asked for a week so as to submit the documents but up till now we have not received any of the documents from any of you why? So please forward us the power of attorney by a return E-mail so that we can effect your payment to your nominated Bank account without delay.
Thanks for your co-operation
Mr. Abel Ubaka.
ZENITH BANK PLC
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