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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 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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "international remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: International Cooperative Bank <info.lighthousesec@gmail.com>
Reply-To: intertransferdept@yeah.net
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2016 14:24:32 +0100
Subject: Your Inheritance Fund Approval Payment Alert.
Attn :Dear Inheritor,
This is International Co-operative Bank, sending an payment alert
message of $10.5million dollars have approved in your name on 24th
March 2016 which you inherited with the bank. Today the bank paying
dept is 100% ready for the successful release and transfer of the
$10.5million to any of your destination bank account in oversea
without any trouble or delay in the next 24 hours by immediate order
from the Central Bank Of Benin. Upon your confirmation response you
will fully details on how your approval inheritance fund automatic
transfer to your destination bank account successful without any
trouble. The International Co-operative Bank International Remittance
Department awaiting for immediate reply which to enable the transfer
dept fill out all arrangement of the payment of your inheritance fund
get to you. We look forward on your urgent reply as we are to serve
you better.
Thanks & Best Regards,
Pastor Paul Johnson
Head Transfer Department.
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Anti-fraud resources:
