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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:
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "my direct line" (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.)
- "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.
Fraud email example:
From: "REV. LEE JOHNSON" <hazem.habbab@bayan-photo.com>
Reply-To: rev.leejohnson71@yahoo.de
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 16:09:48 +0400
Subject: ARE YOU DEAD OR ALIVE? GET BACK TO US
International Finance Corporation IFC
Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria
Attention: Beneficiary
This is to inform you that this office did received payment advice from
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in conjunction with the
Ministry of Finance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pay to you the
total amount of US$5.8 Million. Note that a final approval has been given
to your claim and your funds have been transferred from the International
Finance Corporation World Bank Group who has the final authority to
transfer out of the shores such amount of Fund.
We have just received an email from one MR. KAMICHI YASHITA who introduced
himself as your next of kin also that you have instructed him to receive
the funds into his account on your behalf. MR. KAMICHI YASHITA informed us
that you are dead also that the instruction was given to him before your
death. We have asked him to forward the copy of the letter you gave him
but have not yet heard from him. We are writing you to confirm this
message and if it is not true, you are required to forward with immediate
effect the following information to enable us carry out this transfer to
your account within the next 48 hours.
Forward as a matter of urgency the following:
FULL NAMES AND ADDRESS:..................
DIRECT TELEPHONE:........................
BANK NAME AND ADDRESS:...................
ACCOUNT NUMBERS:...................
SWIFT CODE:....................
ROUTING NUMBERS:................
The only thing required from you is to obtain the transfer Authorization
code which proves that you are the rightful beneficiary of this fund as we
don't want the fund to get to the wrong hands. And also endeavor to give
me a call if you know you did not send MR. KAMICHI YASHITA for Fund
unfailingly anytime of the day, confirming receipt of this mail on my
Direct Line:
Please respond to our office Email address:
We await your urgent response.
Rev. Lee Johnson
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Anti-fraud resources:
