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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:
- "consignment " (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)
- "hundred thousand american 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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "MR. HENRY OKAH" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <henryokah@zing.vn>
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:14:08 -0700
Subject: From Henry Okah
Dear Sir
My name is Mr Henry Okah from the oil rich Niger Delta in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
For security reason I do not want to involve any of my known contacts in this matter and so it is in absolute confidence that I write to seek your urgent cooperation in this business transaction.
I am the leader of the Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) fighting for liberation of the Niger Delta people from age long exploitation and degradation by the Government of Nigeria and the several multinational oil companies operating in our communities.
In our struggle against the government and these multinational oil companies, I have accumulated a large sum of money by way of crude bunkerring, as well as financial settlement and royalties. This money totaling the amount of sixteen million eight hundred thousand American Dollars ($16,800 000.00) is in consignment deposited in a deposit vault in Ghana.
Now I am under arrest charged with treason by the government of Nigeria and all my assets have been confiscated by the government remaining only this money because nobody knows about it.
I need your urgent assistance to receive this money from the Deposit vault as my appointed foreign beneficiary and I will compensate you with 30% of this money. Invest rest of the money in your country under your care until I am able to regain my freedom.
This transaction will commence immediately you reply to this mail as I want to make sure this money is quickly and properly secured and far away from African.
Yours sincerely
Mr Henry Okah
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Anti-fraud resources:
