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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:
 -  "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
 
-  "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:
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From: "from ben jack" (may be fake)Reply-To: <benjack6000@gmail.com>
 Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 19:24:38 +0200
 Subject: RE-CITIBANK DEAL..
 
 From;Mr Ben Jack,
 
 CITIBANK NA LAGOS NIGERIA.
 
 I am Dr Ben Jack Director of Private Accounts, CITIBANK BANK PLC
 
 WEST AFRICA SUB-REGIONAL OFFICE IN NIGERIA, it's just my urgent
 
 need for foreign partner that made me to contact you for this
 
 Confidential business transaction despite the fact we do not
 
 know ourselves too well.
 
 I am a banker by profession from CITI BANK PLC LONDON and
 
 currently holding the post of Director of Private Accounts, CITI
 
 BANK PLC. I Was redeployed from london to head the sub-regional
 
 office in Africa and have a confidential opportunity of
 
 transferring the left over Account ($10.5 Million USD) belonging
 
 to my late clients Steve Moore a top business tycoon, who died
 
 along with his entire family on Egyptian plane crash on their
 
 way from USA to Cairo.
 Read website
 
 Story.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EgyptAir_Flight_990
 
 
 However the purpose of contacting you is the funds in Question
 
 have stayed in this account for over many years and there is
 
 tendency right now by the bank Management to declared it
 
 unclaimed funds and push it to their treasury account where the
 
 bank
 will automatically inherit the money. Therefore i am contacting
 
 you to cooperate with me for us to claim this funds now and  use
 
 it for investment since i have all the details of this account
 
 and with my position in office i and one other partner can
 
 confidently perfect the transfer of this funds through Apex bank
 
 of Nigeria CBN to any bank you will nominate to receive the
 
 transfer. if accepted, We intend introducing you as one of the
 
 relation of late Steve Moore entitled to claim the late relative
 
 estate.If you are interested to partner with us to realize this
 
 transaction we will give you 30% of this fund and the
 
 transaction will last for 7 days please get back to me for
 
 further information and you are being assured no risk is
 
 involved.
 
 I Look forward to hearing from you.
 
 Regards
 
 
 Mr Ben Jack.
 
 
 
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