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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:
- ",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)
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Anita Young." <ibrahimmagu74@gmail.com>
Reply-To: evawunschweber@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2020 07:31:30 -0800
Subject: Attention:Beneficiary
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Attention, .
My name is Mrs. Anita Young the Payment Director of Operation (IMF)
the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in conjunction with the World
Bank has commenced on an Anti-Fraud compensation payment scheme
following the incessant petitions and complains from Fraud related
victims, haven’t completed verification on your compensation payment
in your name.
It is imperative to inform you that you name has been verified for the
second time cleared for such compensation payment of US$2,500,000.00
which shall be made payable to you by the accredited paying bank in
the United Kingdom as soon as you reconfirm your information’s as
requested bellow:
Your Full Name:……………….?
Your Address:…………………..?
Occupation:………………………?
Telephone:…………………………?
ID Card:……………………………..?
Bank Details:…………………………?
As soon as this is done we shall verified again to avoid mistake of
identity payment this is because our Anti Fraud Unit is investigating
Mr. Simon Archer of Chicago in the United States of America who claims
to have received a power of attorney from you asking the paying bank
to issue the ATM debit card in his name .
He came with some endorsed document requesting that the ATM Debit
should be made to his name and sent to his address in the United
States of America, now that you have confirm to us that you never ask
him to we have handed over to our Anti-Fraud compensation payment to
look into.
Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Anita Young.
Director of Operation
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Anti-fraud resources:
