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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:
- "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
- "central bank of nigeria" (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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +2348074037682 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
- 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.
- davidleedesk@aol.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "David Lee" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <davidleedesk@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:36:01 +0100
Subject: Awaiting your response.
Dear Beneficiary,
I hope that this correspondence is received with the urgency and expediency required.
It has come to the notice of the Board of Trustees at the Central Bank of Nigeria {CBN} that your present
inheritance claims application being handled by the Remmitting Bank in Nigeria is experiencing some man
made irregularities.To this effect,it has become neccesary for the Board of Trustees to invite trained Fund
Transfer Specalists from the David Lee & Associates a foreign company and owner of Apple Gate Security & Finance
Bank to resolve and regularize your fund release with immediate effect.
We at David Lee & Associates have been duly consulted by the Central Bank of Nigeria {CBN} Board of
Trustees and have been fully informed about how the staff of the remmitting bank have been taking
advantage of you by telling you to pay unneccesarily exhorbitant charges which will only make your fund p
ayment a long drawn out process.
Due to this we have decided to step into the process of your fund transfer to enable your funds to be
transfered within the soonest possible time you are to get back to us immediatly without needing to pay
all the huge sums of monies that are being demanded from you by the remmitting bank.
All proccesses to have your funds paid to you immediately through the Central Bank of Nigeria {CBN} Laison
Remmittance Office that is Apple Gate Security & Finance Bank have been initiated to cut out unneccesary
costs.You are advised to keep this communication highly confidential as the Central Bank of Nigeria {CBN}
Board of Trustees have asked us to resolve this fund payment independent of the office of the Central Bank
of Nigeria {CBN} Gorvernor to identify the the principal participants in this unethical payment procedure.
Furthermore,you are hereby advised to pay attention to Apple Gate Security/finance Bank in Nigeria only as
they are the only foreign bank operating here in Nigeria and Authorise in handling your payment process by the Government
and Minister of Finance.
We hereby advise you to reply us with the information below:
For re-confirmation to my confidential email address at {davidleedesk@aol.com} so that we may conclude your payment
immediately.
Note:Please be informed that as you respond to this mail your co-operation is needed to let us serve you well,I can be
reached on my direct phone no below:+234-807-403-7682.
Yours Sincerely,
Dr.David Lee
David Lee & Associates c/o CBN.
Direct Phone:+234-807-403-7682
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dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.
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