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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:
- "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "officefiles@mail.kz" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Dr.Oscar Brown" <iyke---office2011@att.net>
Reply-To: officefiles@mail.kz
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 01:26:51 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: URGENT REPLY
This is in regard to outstanding payment. I am Dr.Oscar Brown, the newly appointed
Operations Director Of Banks, Legal Affairs,Security and Investigation here in
Benin-Repulic.
The Executive Arms of the Bankers directed me to Benin-Repulic to Investigate
your fund and to make sure that we approve all outstanding debts.
This decision was taken based on the abnormalise and inability of the Banks in the
whole West African States and United Kingdom to Release your fund into your
bank account; Whereby it was discovered that some officials of the bank were
diverting foreign beneficiaries payment to another account of their choice overseas.
In view of this,during our investigation I found out that; an account was submitted
to divert your fund to a Germany account.
Below is the account submitted and I want you to confirm if you are aware of the
new development because we are about effecting payment to the account stated
bellow today.
Beneficiary: CERSTIN WENGER SHENOUDA
Bank: FRANKFURTER BANK
A/C No.: 367840545
Swift Code: 50050201
Finally, be informed that a payment instruction has been issued and forwarded to
the Treasury Department of our paying bank in Benin-Repulic in favour of the
account above without any further prejudice.But there is no way we can approve the
fund to your account without you confirming if you have changed your account for
your fund to be transfer to the Beneficiary: CERSTIN WENGER SHENOUDA
BANK ACCOUNT IN GERMANY.
Contact me immediately for further clarification to know if you have giving
instruction to tranfer your fund to the above account today.
On behalf of the entire management of BANK OF AFRICA(BOA), we are
congratulating you in advance and if you fail to contact this office on or before
48hrs from now then we will now wire the fund to the German account.
Thanks for your co-operation
Waiting for your urgent response
Yours faithfully
Dr.Oscar Brown
OFFICE OF LEGAL AFFAIRS
(SECURITY AND INVESTIGATION)
E-Mail:officefiles@mail.kz
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Anti-fraud resources:
