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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:
- "abuja" (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: MINISTRY OF FINANCE NIGERIA <info_ministry_finance2015@yahoo.pt>
Reply-To: MINISTRY OF FINANCE NIGERIA <info.ministryfinance123@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2015 22:04:15 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: PAYMENT TRANSFER ADVISE IN YOUR FAVOUR:
Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF)
Ahmadu Bello Way, Central Business District
Abuja, Nigeria.
 LONG OVER DUE CONTRACT PAYMENT TRANSFER ADVISE IN YOUR FAVOUR:
Dear Sir
I am a director with the Federal Ministry of Finance and was instructed by the Hon Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to find out before the end of this month, WHY your contract/ claim of your part payment of $15.5 Million fund have not been credited to your account.
Â
However their is two gentlemen who came from your country to claim this fund on your behalf and the reason giving to us is that you are the one who send them that you are terminal sick and they provide account of Union Bank of Swizterland for the payment to be made. Kindly reconfirm your particulars to us and to know if you are the one that send them, for us to check with the one in our file send the below info:
(1) Your Full Name And Address:
(2) Your Age And Marital Status:
(3) Your Occupation:
(4) Your Telephone/Fax Number:
(5) Your Nationality:
 (6) Your Banking information
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Yours faithfully,
Mr. Daniel I. Kifasi
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Anti-fraud resources:
