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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:
- "to your nominated bank account" (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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- heritablebank.unitedkingdom@mynet.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "United Kingdom" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <heritablebank.unitedkingdom@mynet.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 14:03:00 -0800
Subject: Dear Customer,We have received your payment file worth of $15.5M.
Dear Customer,
Compliments of the day.
We have received your payment file worth of us$15.5m from Federal Government of Nigeria and we
wish to notify you that we are ready to finalize with your payment by crediting it to your nominated bank
account.
It is necessary that I inform you that your fund is presently assigned for release to you through our Bank
( Heritable Bank) of United Kindom. As a matter of fact,based on the delay attitude of Federal Government
of Nigeria in releasing your payment.The Federal Government of Nigeria account officer in charge of
conducting payments from Nigerian Government Foreign Reserve Account has signed Memoramdum of
Understanding with with us which your payment us$15.5m will be paid to you by from our Bnak here in
London-United-Kindom.
Please ensure to assist us by filling out the text of application
appropriately as this will help us finalize your transfer without waste of time.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
PERSONAL TRANSFER TEXT OF APPLICATION.
FULL NAME:................................................
ADDRESS:..................................................
TEL.NUMBER(CELL)......................FAX................
EMAIL:....................................................
PROFESSION:...............................................
DATE OF BIRTH:............................................
SEX:................MARITAL STATUS.........................
AMOUNT TO RECEIVE.........................................
SIGNATURE:...........................DATE..................
Come back to me via email addrss: ( heritablebank.unitedkingdom@mynet.com )for further advice on the
immediate release of your payment.
Regards,
In God we Trust.
Mr.Williams Hurch
Heritable Bank
London-United-Kindom.
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Anti-fraud resources:
