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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:
- "fund beneficiary" (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)
- "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.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- drjameslars7@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <africanpayment@yahoo.com.vn>
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 22:32:26 +0100
Subject: CONTACT DR JAMES FOR YOUR PAYMENT 68
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
FOREIGN OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT
LAGOS ISLAND
Attn: Fund Beneficiary
We write to notify you that we at the central security system have received
funds approval order from our audit department for the transfer of your overdue
payment in your favor.
A payment instruction received have been given a mandate to pay the stipulated
sum within a period not exceeding seven (7) banking days from the day of
dispatch. Consequently, the programming of the payment process has commenced in
earnest.
Finally to avoid misdirection of funds, could you reconfirm your
particulars by filling the attached form and also reconfirm the intending
amount to be transferred the form should be sent back to us together with a
copy of your international passport and/or drivers license. These are needed to
ensure legitimacy of the beneficiary. Hence your advise to call Dr James Lars on
this line +2348163104206 email : drjameslars7@gmail.com
his the telex director
Your Sincerely,
MRS KOFFI JACQUES
International Operations/Foreign funds
Debt Reconciliation/Payment
African Development Bank
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Anti-fraud resources:
