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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:
- "economic and financial crime commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "economic and financial crimes commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "(efcc)" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "farida waziri" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (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.
- 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.
- mohamedfaye@ciudad.com.ar (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs Farida Waziri." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mbasin29@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 19 May 2011 00:30:12 +0100
Subject: Re: Transfer of your Fund US$5.5M From EFCC
Economic and Financial Crime Commission
112 Avenues, Sure Road Lagos/Nigeria
EFCC Executive Chairman
Good day,
I hereby officially notify you about the present arrangement which I had in my office, due to the fact that I have no avenue to contact you ever since the organization has mapped out the sum of US$5.5m to be sent to you. The amount was assigned for compensation through Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Economic Community Of West African
States (ECOWAS) in respect of victims who lost there money in one way or the other. Your email address was assigned among the people to be compensated.
Upon the receipt of this mail you are advised to send the following information as soon as possible for the processing of the fund to you so you absolutely have nothing to worry about.
Contact the Remittance department with the following information.
1) YOUR FULL NAME.
2) RESIDENTIAL RECEIVING ADDRESS
3) YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER.
4) YOUR PROFESSION.
5) YOUR AGE.
Kindly forward the information above to
Contact Person: Mr. Mohamed Faye.
Email: mohamedfaye@ciudad.com.ar
Yours faithfully,
EFCC Executive Chairman,
Mrs Farida Waziri.
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Anti-fraud resources:
