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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:
- "swift card payment center" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "(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.
- officesettlement1@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Rukayat Abdulahi (Hon)" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <officesettlement1@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 13:04:08 -0400
Subject: SWIFT CARD PAYMENT
Attn,
This is to Officially inform you that your outstanding inherited/contract sum owed to you which you have failed to claim as a result of difficult conditions imposed on you by the past Nigerian administration or because of your unbelief of the reality of your genuine payment have been Finally release.
The present government is not pleased with various petitions received from foreigners who have not received their payment because of these hard conditions imposed on them before they receive their payment. As solution to the above highlighted circumstance,we have arranged your payment to be settled through our swift card payment centers,Which is the latest resolution with the economic community of west African states (ECOWAS) in collaboration with the Economic Council of United Nations Organization.
The federal government of Nigeria coordinating bank will send to you an ATM CARD which you will use to withdraw your money in any Atm machine in any part of the world. Take note that your ATM CARD will be delivered to your home address a soon as we hear back from you. so if you like to receive your funds this way kindly reconfirm the information below and send to (officesettlement1@gmail.com) for immediately release of your fund through our ATM Master card.
(1) Your Full Name
(2) Full residential address
(3) Phone And Fax Number
(4) Occupation.
(5) Personal Identification.Drivers license or International Passport.
(7) Age
(8) Marital Status.
We have been mandated by the Nigerian government in collaboration with the Economic Council of United Nations Organization to issue in your favor US$5M as part payment for this fiscal year 2012/2013.
We await your urgent response to this email to enable us monitor this payment effectively.
Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Rukayat Abdulahi (Hon)
Secretary to the Presidency
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Anti-fraud resources:
