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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:
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Alex Williams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <alexwilliams@fbidelegate.org.gr.vu>
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 17:11:17 -0600
Subject: FBI AGENT
Hello
I am Alex Williams(FBI AGENT),i have been assigned to Africa to handle issues involving foreign Beneficiaries being ripped each time they try to make a claim on their inheritance.Please be informed that during my investigation i got to find out that there is a huge sum of $15million that has been assigned in your name an this scammers are busy swindling you without any hope of you receiving your fund.
NOTE: The information i just gather from the Central Bank Suspense account is that the only amount meant to pay for this transfer process is the sum of $250 which covers for both Logistics and Securing a DEED OF AGREEMENT which will act as a Binding force between the Transferring Bank an the Beneficiary so that any form of Transfer charge can be deducted from Beneficiaries total fund before transfer is done.
The Bank also specified that the Transfer process can be done in the following way depending the option of choice preferred by the Beneficiary in question.
1)Through Bank to Bank wire transfer :The Bank account details of the Beneficiary will be needed so that the wire transfer can be done directly to the said account.
2)Through ATM card to be shipped to you through the courier service:In this option an ATM master card will be issued out in favor of the Beneficiary,it has a maximum withdraw of $100,000 per day.
3)As a Bank Draft/Cheque to be delivered to you also through the courier.:In this case an international Bank draft will be issued out to the Beneficiary and it is cash able any where in the world by the Beneficiary since the draft will be drawn using details of the Beneficiary.
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Do confirm to me the information below because an Application will be submitted to the Bank in your favor and the details below will be needed to enhance the said Application before the Bank.
FULL NAME:
ADDRESS:
PHONE NUMBER
COUNTRY:
OCCUPATION:
SEX:
AGE:
In view of the above,i shall expect a response from you so that you can join the list of beneficiary who are presently in joy after receiving their compensated amount as scam victims.
Best Regard,
Alex Williams.
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