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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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:
- "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.
- This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- advanrooj@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: MR.DAVID ROOJ <davidrooj@audit.org>
Reply-To: <advanrooj@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:43:45 -0400
Subject: CAN I TRUST YOU?
Good day!
I am the Chief Audit/Account Executive officer, Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) attached to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Apex bank.
I write to inquire your interest in a business transaction which involves US$45M
secured in our (NNPC) escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The
fund was an over-invoiced contract award amount which was abandoned and
undisclosed over the years due to the fact that the account was sealed/blocked
with high security device Microchips by the predecessors (to prevent any
intruder's accessibility) who were chased out of offices by this present
Civilian Administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of Federal Republic
of Nigeria.
I seek your interest for the purpose of establishing a joint venture on Real
Estate and Tourist Centre oversea with the fund upon claimed. I shall unfold
details on how we shall go about the claim upon your reply.
Best regards,
David Rooj (Chief Audit/Account).
Reply to: advanrooj@yahoo.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
