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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.
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- 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.
- email-andersonwilliam22@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Nkruma Kwame <k_nkruma@yahoo.com.ph>
Reply-To: Nkruma Kwame <andersonwilliam22@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2011 22:17:07 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: STATE INHERITANCE COMMITTEE KWAME NKRUMA BUILDING BENIN.
STATE INHERITANCE COMMITTEE KWAME NKRUMA BUILDING BENIN.
I am pleased to inform you that a meeting was held as regards the best way to carry out with the compensation exercise for transparency and most especially to avoid re occurrence of the delay in transferring your funds and the high cost of procuring transfer documents and came to a final conclusion as all head of organizations involved was duly represented. It was approved to be issued to you as a valid international ATM card cash-able at any ATM machine designation in the world. The ATM account has already being credited with the sum of two worth Four Million, Nine Hundred Thousand ($4.9 Million USD), with a daily limit of withdrawal of Four thousand United States Dollars ($4,000, 00USD).
This is to officially inform you that ATM card number: 3117 4444 0147 1700 worth Four Million, Nine Hundred Thousand ($4.9 Million USD) has been credited in your favor in bid to compensate you on your contract payment since you are next on our inheritance file for the second part payment of this fiscal Year 2011.The card centre will get your ATM CARD prepared at no cost, and this card you will use to withdraw your money in any ATM MACHINE/TERMINAL anywhere in the world.
Your ATM Card will be released to you at no cost.
Your personal identification is ATM- 7997. Contact the verification officer (Mr. William Anderson) on: (Telephone: +229 949 552 80. E-mail: ) with the following for proper verification and claim processing: Call him immediately for confirmation.
Full Name................
Delivery Address.........
Country..................
Occupation...............
Phone Number.............
Fax Number...............
Age......................
NOTE:
You are also required to send to the verification officer/agent a means of Identification which should be a scan copy of your Driver's License or International Passport for proper verification and authentication. Email-andersonwilliam22@gmail.com.
Regards
Management.
STATE INHERITANCE COMMITTEE.
BENIN REPUBLIC.
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Anti-fraud resources:
