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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "foreign remittance manager" (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)
- "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "abidjan" (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.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- sibinfo.co.ci@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From:
Date:
Subject: Comfidential Matter
Comfidential Matter
FROM:Â MR. MICHEL VALIDIREÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
FOREIGN REMITTANCE MANAGER.
Société Ivoirienne de Banque (SIB)
ABIDJAN, COTE D'IVOIRE.
sibinfo.co.ci@sify.com
www.sib.ci
  Dear Friend,
                    Â
I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise as we never meet before. I am the FOREIGN REMITTANCE MANAGER of (SIB) Société Ivoirienne de Banque, I Hope that you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that I am about to repose on you for the mutual benefit of our both families.
Â
I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of ($8.4M) immediately from my bank to your to your account. This money is the part of the money that our Government have paid to our bank to pay the contractors and i have put up a name of a company as one of the company that we need to pay the sum of ($8.4M)as if the comapny is one of the contracting companys.
 My Friend this is asured and nobody will know about it, all we need is to contact this lawyer, Barrister John Henry Peters he will go and get paid of the sum of $1000.00 with the name of this company Alaumukalu LTD that i have put at the Minister of Finance as one of the Company that did contract with the Government here and this $1000.00 is for last year tax and this year as that Govenment told us that ever contractor that is coming for their payment must come with the up dated tax paper. This is all we need and the money will be transferred immediately and you will take 50% and 50% for me.
 Please I would like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not interested. Upon receipt of your reply, I will send you full details
Thanks and waiting for your urgent response,
Best Regards
Mr. MICHEL VALIDIRE
sibinfo.co.ci@sify.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
