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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:
- "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)
- "million united states 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)
- "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
- "foreign payment department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Dr. Abdul Sayeed Baig" <afrincadevelopmentbankng@gmail.com>
Reply-To: jsp6383@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2012 08:51:40 -0700
Subject: Re: Your Payment Notification
Attn: Pls,
Did you authorize Mrs. Valorie J. Palmer, who presented documents of
claim signed by you for the release of your part-payment of Nine
Million United States Dollars Ready for transfer? But Mrs. Valorie J.
Palmer is Claiming the fund while the Beneficiary Still Valid in your
Name. Ensure that you do not delay to get back soonest as this calls
for urgent and cogent attention to avoid misdirection of fund.
If you did not give any Authorization to the said Mrs. Valorie J.
Palmer for claim of your fund, please reconfirm immediately to avoid
banking irregularities, as your fund is now ready to be transferred
based on the urgent instructions from the Committee of Foreign
Contractor Payments Board. In summary of what you need to do is to get
back with the information request below to enable Federal Reserve Bank
of New York contact you.
(1) Your Full Name
(2) Full residential address
(3) Cell Phone number
(4) Occupation
(5) The Photo page of your International passport or your Driver's License.
As soon as this information is received, your payment will be transfer
to you through Federal Reserve Bank of New York to your nominated Bank
Account directly. You are advice to respond to the mail as quickly as
it deserves.
Waiting for your reply.
Dr. Abdul Sayeed Baig
Head of Foreign Payment Department.
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Anti-fraud resources:
