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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)
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- 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.
- mustaphadangote_ng@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: " Mr. Mustapha Dangote" <prof.sanusilamido.org@googlemail.com>
Reply-To: mustaphadangote_ng@hotmail.com
Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 23:24:31 +0100
Subject: Outstanding Payment!!
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Attn!!
Dear Sir/Madam
Your outstanding contract/inheritance entitlement has received attention of
office of the presidency on foreign financial matters and also in line with
the meeting held between office of the presidency on foreign financial
matters and the federal executive council, I write to officially inform you
that your contract/inheritance entitlement valued at One Million Six
Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (USD1.6M) has been approved for
immediate payment to you.
You are required to send your means of identification; first three pages of
your international passport or driver’s license and as well as your contact
telephone number for onward submission to the financial institution
assigned to handle the payment exercise on behalf of the federal government
of Nigeria.
Be informed that this message supersedes every other message you must have
received in the past concerning your contract/inheritance entitlement.
Contact Email: mustaphadangote_ng@hotmail.com
Regards,
Mr. Mustapha Dangote
For: Office of the Presidency
Foreign Financial Matters
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Anti-fraud resources:
