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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:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- ",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)
- "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
- "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "abuja" (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.
Fraud email example:
From: Brian Kawakami <briankawakami101@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2023 09:16:21 -0700
Subject: PLEASE RECONFIRM 101
Attention:
This is to officially inform you that your name was submitted for the
approval sum of {$ 10,500,000.00} Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand United
States Dollars from the National Assembly in conjunction with International
payment Investigation department.
We have been instructed to release your outstanding contract Inheritance
Funds to you without any delay which we have been arranged to release funds
through our payment center in Europe/ United States of America and Asia
Pacific which the instruction was given to us by the International payment
Investigation department at the closing meeting at FCT Abuja Capital city
of Nigeria today.
I will be expecting to receive your information and you are advice to stop
any further communication you are having with any office from now to enable
our payment center release your outstanding contract Inheritance funds to
you without any hitch. To claim your funds you are required as a matter of
urgency to re-confirm the below information’s,
Your Full Name:
Your Address:
Your Mobile Number:
Your Age:
Your Occupation:
Your Country:
Your City
A copy of your verifiable Passport or Driver’s License for verification
Regards,
Mr. Brian Kawakami
Account Officer
Foreign Remittance Department.
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Anti-fraud resources:
