419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "diplomatic delivery"
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- ",000,000" (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)
- "diplomatic delivery" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "contact the diplomat" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
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 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.
- +2347081581021
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.
- diamond.diplomatic.financeplc.03@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "BARRISTER NICULAS JAMES."
<diamond.diplomatic.financeplc.03E@gmail.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: diamond.diplomatic.financeplc.03@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:40:27 +0600
Subject: CONTACT THE DIPLOMATIC COMPANY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

HELLO

I AM REALLY SORRY FOR NOT CONTACTING YOU FOR A VERY LONG TIME.I HAVE BEEN
WORRIED SEEKING FOR A BETTER WAY FOR THE

DIAMOND DIPLOMATIC FINANCE PLC,TO TRANSFER YOUR FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF
$1,000,000 USD WITHOUT ANY MORE TROUBLES.

NOW, THEY AGREED TO USE THEIR DIPLOMATIC DELIVERY SERVICES TO CARGO YOUR FUNDS
TO YOU IN CASH AND MAKE THE DELIVERY

TO YOUR HOUSE BY HAND TO HAND DELIVERY.

NOW,I WILL WANT YOU TO WRITE TO THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THE DIPLOMATIC
DELIVERY
SERVICES AND ASK HIM THAT YOU WANT

TO USE THEIR SERVICES TO DELIVER YOUR FUNDS TO YOU AS INSTRUCTED BY THEIR
SISTER COMPANY (DIAMOND DIPLOMATIC FINANCE

PLC,). AND ALSO YOU ARE TO FILL OUT YOUR INFORMATION AND SEND IT TO THEM FOR
IMMEDIATE ACTION ON YOUR DELIVERY OF

YOUR FUND.

1, Your Full name..........

2, Delivery address........

3, Phone number...........

4, Fax number.............

5, Email address...........

NAME OF THE MANAGER INCHARGE: (MR JONES ROBINSON)

CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS:(diamond.diplomatic.financeplc.03@gmail.com)

PHONE NUMBER (+234-7081581021)

PLEASE DO NOT FAIL TO CONTACT THE DIPLOMATIC COMPANY AND SEND THEM
YOUR CORRENT
ADDRESS SO THEIR WILL NOT MAKE A

WRONG DELIVERY TO YOUR DOOR STEP OK. PLEASE ALSO CALL THEM AND LET THEM KNOW
THAT YOU ARE IN NEED OF YOUR FUND AS

URGENT ON DELIVERY TO YOUR DOOR STEP OK.

I WAIT FOR YOUR REPLY AFTER CONTACTING Mr. JONES ROBINSON.

THANKS AND GOD BLESS,
YOURS SINCERELY.
BARRISTER NICULAS JAMES.

----------------------------------------------------------------
This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam