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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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "million us 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)
- "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 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.
- nnpccgggg@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "MRS USUMAN BALA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <nnpccgggg@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 16:14:32 +0200
Subject: READ CAREFULLY
Atten to whom it may consign
Dear sir/madam
my name is MR GLORY USUMAN BALA I am working with Nigeria National
Petroleum Cooperation [NNPC] LAGOS NIGERIA. Presently I am in LONDON
on a course which will last for a Period of six month, infact I saw your profile on internet
I do sincerely solicit for your assistance to transfer the sum of $47million US dollars)
forty seven million US dollars the money in question is over inflicted amount on a contract
awarded in the year 20012; the contractor that did the contract has already been paid by
the former Government. The contract award chairman and some of our officials decided to
transfer the deference abroad 20% will be given to the account owner 5% is map out for any
expanses that might come up for local and international, for more details indicate your
interest only on this Email address nnpccgggg@gmail.com this transacting, will be Done
legitimately that will protect everybody involved, I will appreciate your earliest response
Yours sincerity
MRS USUMAN BALA Tel +44 79 22 090 826
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Anti-fraud resources:
