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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:
- "consignment " (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)
- "ecowas " (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 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.
- markwife002@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: DIPLOMAT Samuel Rock <johan@bollegraaf.com>
Reply-To: <markwife002@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2020 10:48:28 -0800
Subject: GET BACK TO ME URGENT
Attn: TO You,
I’m Diplomat Samuel Rock; I have been trying to reach you on your
telephone about an hour now just to inform you about my successful
arrival in New York John F. Kennedy International Airport with your two
boxes of consignment Box worth $8.5M Eight Million Five Hundred
Thousand Dollars which I have been instructed by ECOWAS COURIER
DELIVERY COMPANY to be delivered to you. The Airport authority
demanded for all the legal back up papers to prove to them that the
fund is no way related with drug nor fraud money, I have presented the
papers I handed to them and they are very much pleased with the
paper’s I presented but the only thing that is still keeping me here
is the airport Tag which is not placed on the boxes,Tag
so that I can exit the airport immediately and make my
delivery successful. I try to reason with them and they stated the
delivery tag will cost us just $350 Dollars only to get the two tag
placed on the boxes as that tag will enable me delivery your package
to your doorstep
I can not afford to spend more time here due to other delivery,
I have to take care of in Australia. Here are the papers backing the funds together
with my ID CARD as I can accompany you to your bank were you will
deposit the fund successfully with these papers. I have i more vital
paper with me but I can only present you the hard copy when I reach
your house as that it’s the diplomatic rules, such as authorization to
deliver.
Re-confirm to me your current phone number and address urgent
Full Name:
Address:
Phone Number:
You can direct the Delivery Tag fee to our Head Office as they
will get it there for you and they are entitled to receive and make any
payment to foreign countries authority. GET BACK TO ME IN MY EMAIL
NOW; ( markwife002@gmail.com )
Regard
DIPLOMAT Samuel Rock
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Anti-fraud resources:
