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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:
- "stamp duty" (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. )
- "into 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)
- "central bank of nigeria" (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: "FIDELITY TRUST BANK PLC," (may be fake)
Reply-To: <wpwparkerp1@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2013 04:03:36 -0800
Subject: DID YOUR ASSIGN YOUR FUND TO DR. JOSEPH OWEN SR.
Attention Beneficiary,
DID YOUR ASSIGN YOUR FUND TO DR. JOSEPH OWEN SR.
We write to inform you that we received a Payment Mandate from Central Bank of Nigeria our
Client to effect the Transfer of your Contract Fund of twenty four Million Five Hundred Thousand
Dollars (US$24.5M) only into your nominated bank account. But, we could not effect the transfer
because One Dr. Owen Joseph Sr. presented to us a Deed of Assignment purportedly signed by you
before a Rotary Public in the United States of America with a Stamp Duty. The said Deed of Assignmen
receive your payment in settlement for a debt you owe to him.
We would like you to confirm if you did assign the payment of your fund to Dr. Joseph Owen Davis of the
United States of America. If no, then reconfirm your details and get back to us for further instructions on
how to reclaim the Ownership of your fund to enable us effect the payment of your fund
You have up to five working days to get back to us failing which we have no other option than to transfer
the fund to Dr. Davis.
Thanking you in anticipation of your cooperation.
Yours in Service,
Mr. Pedro Fernandez
DIRECTOR FOREIGN PAYMENTS
SPECIAL DUTIES DEPARTMENT
FIDELITY TRUST BANK PLC,
UK.
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Anti-fraud resources:
