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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:
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- 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.
- ellenyofia@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "John T. Mark" <johnumeh102@gmail.com>
Reply-To: ellenyofia@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2015 08:42:05 +0100
Subject: Your Compensation Fund ( $2.5Million dollar )
Dear; Friend;
Longest Time; I'm here to inform you that I gave My Secretary Mr.
Elleny Ofia a Bank Draft Check of $2.5 Million dollar to send to you
through Courier Service.. The Bank Draft Check is for your
Compensation for your past Effort in football/soccer club; I want you
to contact my secretary now with full contact information to send Bank
Draft Check of $2.5Million dollar to you this week;
Contact my secretary now and Send your contact home address to him as
it below to send the Bank Draft Check of $2.5Million dollar to you
through Courier Service;
Full Name:
Home Address:
Country AND City:
Zip/postal code
Cell Phone Numbers
Below is the contact information of My Secretary Mr. Elleny Ofia for
you to contact him with your full correct home address. And also call
him on phone..
contact person: Mr. Elleny Ofia
EMAIL:: (ellenyofia@yahoo.com) ellenyofia@yahoo.com
Telephone.. +229 6182 0566
Send the above mentioned information correctly to him to avoid sending
Bank Draft Check to wrong address. I want you to call my secretary on
phone to confirm that you're contacting the right person; call +229
6182 0566
Best regard
Mr. John Thomas Mark
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Anti-fraud resources:
