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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:
- 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:
- "million 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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: louisgoodluck@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2010 23:20:31 GMT
Subject: DID YOU PERMIT MR. COLE WANDA TO RECEIVE YOUR FUND AS YOUR NEXT
OF KIN?,,
APPROVED ON YOUR BEHALF.
Urgent Attention For Your Benefit.
>From the office the Presidency
Mr. Louis Daniel Goodluck.
Attn; Fund Recipients
I am written to inform you that your files appeared on our desk to pay you a
partial payment of 8 million dollars at of your fund for this last quarter of
the year.
But we are having misunderstanding because one Mr. Cole Wanda called of
yesterday that he is your new next of kin that you instructed him to receive the
fund on your favour that you are totally sick and you can not work or answer any
calls.
but we were so confuse that is why the authority instructed me to contact you
for us to know if he is telling us the truth or not.
He even forwarded this bank details to us.
Bank Name: Credit Union Na
Account Name: Mr. Cole Wanda.
Account number: 908374912
Swift code: cwd1u
After he provided this account to us, he instructed us not to inform you and we
should transfer the fund into his account directly because he is your next of kin.
Please kindly check this account and this name and tell us if you know him and
for you to informed us ,if we should go ahead and transfer the fund into his
account or not.
We wait to hear from you soon.
Don't keep us waiting for your own good.
Thanks and God bless.
Regards,
Mr. Louis Daniel Goodluck.
Special Adviser to Mr. President
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Anti-fraud resources:
