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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:
- "terrorist clearance certificate" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
- "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- ",500,000" (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)
- "cotonou" (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.
- Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
Fraud email example:
From: "Ms.Marie Francoise" <datasfiless@gmail.com>
Reply-To: "Ms.Marie Francoise" <mariefrancose@yahoo.com.vn>
Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2017 23:44:18 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Good News To You Dear
We are so pleased to inform you of our final release update of your overdue sum of $ 10,500,000.00.
We are cross-checked your payment file properly and found out CBN Governor Mr. Sanusi Lamido and Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo who who is a fraud account and this has why your transfer is always transferred here any Nigeria.
List of Money Laundry where Mr. Sanusi Lamido and Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo placed it before so your funds would go successfully when transferred on Monday morning.Our headquarters in Washington DC approved your transfer today and your anticipation for yourself will before you transfer your if you do not have tender all original copies of the fund documents and Anti-Terrorist Clearance Certificates, the fund should not be paid to you.
CBN staffs who knows about your transfer and who are trying to divert your transfer. The FedEx delivery and premium fee. FeedEx delivery and premium fee of $ 100 and you are guaranteed that you must guaranteed that your what is what what Has been holding your fund anytime it is been transferred.
I am afraid that it is impossible to receive the FedEx delivery and premium fee of $ 100 as soon as you receive this email so I can handover those documents and the $ 100 to the FedEx agent tomorrow morning. Once again, be rest contained within 2 banking days without any interception again since we have found out the problem and it has been rectified.
RECEIVING MONEY GRAM AND WESTERN UNION DETAILS FOR THE FEDEX DELIVERY AND PREMIUM FEE: -
RECEIVING NAME IS ( GODIYA NUHU )
RECEIVING ADDRESS IS (COTONOU, BENIN REPUBLIC)
TEXT QUESTION IS COLOR AND ANSWER IS PURPLE.
SENDER'S COMPLETE NAMES & ADDRESS:
We anticipate your immediate action on this matter of global interest.
Yours faithfully,
Ms. Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly for the World Bank
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Anti-fraud resources:
