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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:
- "my direct telephone number" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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.
Fraud email example:
From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: foreignoperationbgdir@manager.in.th
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 22:28:10 +0800
Subject: Please Confirm Quickly!
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
TINUBU SQUARE,LAGOS-NIGERIA
Attn;Beneficiary.
I write to officially inform you that after the suspension of Mallam Sanusi
Lamido Sanusi by the President and Chief of the Armed Forces (Dr Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan-GCFR) i was appointed as the director Central Bank of Nigeria
after being the acting governor for some months.
This message is following your payment file on my desk stating that you have
an unclaimed contract / inheritance payment value
$35.5Million only, kindly confirm the legitimacy and why you have not claimed
it by now after it was approved for payment to you since 2013.
Kindly re-confirm the following details below for due payment validation.
1) Your Full Name.............
2) Contact Address..................
3) Direct Phone...........................
4) Occupation................................
5) Age
6) Company Name
Your mail correspondent should be forwarded to my private e-mail id as stated
for urgent attention : E-MAIL offic_cbgovern@manager.in.th
I wait for your prompt reply and follow up call on my direct telephone number
now so that i can help release your fund.Call now
+234 8057 318 095.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs Sarah Alade.
(Director Central Bank of Nigeria).
phone:+234 8057 318 095
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Anti-fraud resources:
