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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:
- "million 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)
- "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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "economic and financial crimes commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "(efcc)" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "payout_efccng@qq.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "EFCC Compensation Dpt." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <payout_efccng@qq.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2015 20:24:19 -0000
Subject: Funds Now Available.
We at the zenith of affairs of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the United Nations Representatives in Nigeria have agreed that the total sum of USD30M (Thirty Million United States Dollars Only) be shared among the 50 email contacts found on the fraudsters hard drive. This email is being directed to you because your email address was found in one of the Con Artist's Scrap file in the computer hard drive in our custody here in Nigeria. You are therefore being compensated with the total sum $600,000.00 (Six Hundred Thousand United States Dollars only).
We have made arrangement to provide secure money transfer through a renowned Money Transfer Office here in Lagos Nigeria. Our workforce have been instructed to fully oversee the transfer process for security reasons. Feel free to Contact the Head of Operations(Mark Fisher) through the information stated below;
Email : payout_efccng@qq.com
Name: Mark Fisher
Contact Mark Fisher today with your information to enable the Head of Operations commence the processing of your payment to avoid any delay.
Best Regard,
Mrs Wuraola Philips.
Financial Intelligence Unit,
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (E.F.C.C),
15A Awolowo Road, Ikoyi.
Lagos, Nigeria.
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Anti-fraud resources:
