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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:
- "hundred thousand us 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)
- "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "lagos" (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.
- 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.
- dukealexx20@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: DUKE ALE <duke.aleatm1960@gmail.com>
Reply-To: dukealexx20@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 06:42:06 -0700
Subject: Atten: MD/CEO.
Atten: MD/CEO.
I am pleased to get across to you for a very urgent an comfortable
business proposal although i did not know you neither have i seen you
before but my confidence was reposed on you when the chief executive
of lagos state of chamber of commerce and the industry handed me your
contact for the confidential business. I AM THE MANAGER OF UNITED BANK
OF AFRICA(UBA)PLC MUSHIN BRANCH LAGOS NIGERIA . The intended business
is thus, we have a customer a foreigner from(TURKISH) PRESENT IN
NIGERIA HE WAS A CONTRACTOR OF ONE OF THE GOVERMENT PARASTATALS.
He has in his account in my branch the sum of $10.8m (Ten million
eight hundred thousand US DOLLARS) unfortunately the man die four
years ago untill today non of his next of kins has come forward to
claim the money haven't notice this, I in collarboration with two
other top officials have carry up this account on this while . Now we
want you being a forigner to be fronted as one of this next of kins,
And forwarded your account and the other relevant documents to be
advise to you by us to attest to be claim . We will use our position
to get all internal documentation to backup the claims , the whole
proceduries we last only
for ten works in days (10) to get the funds retrieved successfully
without trace even in the future your respond is only what we are
waithing for as we have arranged all necessary thing as soon as this
mesage comes to you, Kindly get back to me in indicating you interest,
Then i will furnish you with the whole procedure to ensure that they
do it sucessefully concluded. for your assistance we have agreed to
give you about (20%)at the end of transaction . Its (100%) risk free
and a big miega fortune. All coresponded
towards this transaction will be true my private
email(dukealexx20@hotmail.com) for now awaiting your earliest
response .
MR.DUKE ALE
MANAGER
UBA(MUSHIN BRANCH)
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Anti-fraud resources:
