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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)
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "unsettlementunit@qq.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- "unsettlementunit@qq.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Susan Patrick" <o_office39@aol.com>
Reply-To: unsettlementunit@qq.com
Date: Mon, 5 May 2014 14:09:29 +0100
Subject: (UN AUDIT/FUNDS SETTLEMENT UNIT) = YOUR URGENT RESPONSE
- This mail is in HTML. Some elements may be ommited in plain text. -
UN AUDIT/FUNDS SETTLEMENT UNIT
UN HOUSE-PLOT 617/618 DIPLOMATIC DRIVE
CENTRAL AREA DISTRICT GARKI ABUJA NIGERIA
SECURITY TEL/FAX: 009 81 25962839.
Email:unsettlementunit@qq.com
IMMEDIATE PAYMENT #:UN/ZBI-VMH/WB/IMF/MIN/FGBN/225/2014.
Attn: Honorable Beneficiary,
This is to bring to your notice that a sealed consignment box content rate worth of $7.2Million USD with your email contact information on it was brought to this Honorable office by Rev. Isaac Otoaye a Custom officer. According to him, the boxes were recovered from their head office here in Abuja Nigeria and since then you are yet to come and claim it. We are contacting you now based on what is presently on that capacity and want to be sure it is you. If you are sure you own the email address kindly reconfirm your details to us as stated below immediately for us to inform you how to receive your consignment box.
A) Your full names and address:.......................................
B) Your Cell Phone number:.................................................
C) Your state and country of origin:.....................................
Be cordially advised that, upon receipt of the above details of yours we shall proceed further Email:unsettlementunit@qq.com
Yours in service.
Mrs Susan Patrick
AUDIT/FUNDS SETTLEMENT UNIT
http://www.ng.undp.org/
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Anti-fraud resources:
