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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:
- "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.
- 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.
- revmark.bles.1@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <revmark.bles.1@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2015 15:09:01 -0800
Subject: YOU MUST BE PAID
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
TINUBU SQUARE,LAGOS-NIGERIA
Attn:Valued 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 new governor Central Bank of Nigeria.
This message is following your name and details 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.
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 70319 25667.Reply with this email(revmark.bles.1@gmail.com}
Yours faithfully,
Mr Godwin Emefiele
(Governor Central Bank of Nigeria).
phone:+234 70319 25667
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Anti-fraud resources:
