joewein.de LLC fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter! Free trial for 30 days

"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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.

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:
  • "outstanding contractors" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "your payment is being processed" (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)
  • "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)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "central bank of nigeria" (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.
  

Fraud email example:

From: ben oji <ben2oji@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2006 08:43:45 -0800 (PST)
Subject: URGENT RESPONDS



CENTRAL BANK OF IGERIA
TINUBU SQUARE,VICTORIA ISLAND,
LAGOS-NIGERIA

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
OUR REF: CBN/IRD/CBX/021/05


Attn: Honourable Contractor
RE: IMMEDIATE PAYMENT OF YOUR CONTRACT INHERITANCE ON CONTRACT #:MAV/NNPC/FGN/MIN/009.
From the records of outstanding contractors due for payment with the Government of Nigeria. Your name and company was discovered as next on the list of the outstanding contractors who have not received their payments. I wish to inform you that your payment is being processed and will be released to you as soon as you respond to this letter. Also note that from the record in my file, your outstanding contract payment is (Fifteen Million, Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars).

Please re-confirm to me if this is inline with what you have in your record and also re-confirm to me the followings:

1) Your full name.
2) Phone, Fax and Mobile #.
3) Company name, Position and Address.
4) Profession, age and marital status.
5) Any kind of identification and Nationality
As soon as this information are received, your payment will be made to you in a certified bank draft or wired to your bank account directly from Central bank of Nigeria and a copy of transfer confirmation informations will be given to you for you to take to your bank and confirm it.

Please kindly get back to me as soon as you receive this mail.

YOURS SINCERELY,



PROFESSOR CHARLES C. SOLUDO
GOVERNOR, CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)





---------------------------------
Check out the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta - Fire up a more powerful email and get things done faster.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam