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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:
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "adamscourierservices@yandex.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Grace Kotei <ggrraacceekkootteeii@gmail.com>
Reply-To: acctdepartunghana@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2016 16:28:59 +0100
Subject: IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF YOUR PARTIAL PAYMENT VALUED US$5.2M ONLY VIA
ATMCARD
--
United Nation Organization Information Section
210 Euston Road London NW1 2BE United Kingdom
(U.K) DOCKET NO. OP 292.
Our Ref: UN/BKL/STB
IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF YOUR PARTIAL PAYMENT VALUED US$5.2M ONLY VIA
ATMCARD
Dear: Beneficiary,
We wish to inform you that your approval of partial payment of USD$5.2
Million from the Federal Republic of Ghana has been released and ready
to
be paid to you via ATMCARD which you will use to withdraw the
US$5.2Million
from any ATM Machine in any part of
the world.
We have mandated the GTB-Card bank, to issue an ATM CARD and PIN# which
you
will use to withdraw the fund from any ATM machine in any part of the
world
but the maximum amount you can withdraw per day is US$20,000.00. You are
strongly advice immediately to contact Mr.Adams Oboshie the courier
officer
for the shipment of your ATM CARD. Tel:
+233273300195 EMAIL: adamscourierservices@yandex.com don't forget to
include your information such as:
1) Your Full Name.
2) Your Contact Address.
3) Your Tel Phone/ Mobile
The ATM CARD approved on your name has been sent to Mr.Adams Oboshie and
he
is waiting for your above information to enable him process and send you
the ATM CARD via courier service. So make sure you contact him right
away
with your full contacts/mailing information and tell him that you
received
a message from Mrs.Grace Kotei the ACCOUNT DEPARTMENT UNITED NATION
OFFICE,Instructing you to contact him for immediate release of your ATM
CARD.
You should contact him as directed and wait for your ATM CARD within
72hours as soon as you furnish with all the requirement needed to
dispatch
the ATM CARD to you. You are warned to disregard other contact or any
communication you have with other offices from
now henceforth.
Please we are very sorry for the plight you have gone through in the
past.
Thanks for adhering to this instruction and once again accept out
congratulations!
Yours Sincerely,
Mrs.Grace Kotei
IN CHARGE ACCOUNT DEPARTMENT UNITED NATION OFFICE
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