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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "first national bank" (not involved with lotteries)
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "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)
- "abidjan" (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 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.
- mulumbaprivate@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Frank Mulumba <mulumbaprivate@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 02:00:36 -0700
Subject: HELLO
Dear Sir/Madam,
My family got your contact details from our family search on the
International Business Directory Links and I decided to contact you on a
confidential business investment partnership proposal on behalf of our
family. In this proposal ,we propose that we enter into business
partnership with you and your company by investing our family funds under
your investment care and investment partnership with you in your country or
under any other investment idea that you might raise that will be very
profitable for this our family investment funds. You will also assist our
family in the transfer process of these family funds from First National
Bank (FNB Bank South Africa) where it is lodged by our late father to your
nominated foreign account as our family appointed foreign business
partner/beneficiary.
Sir, my name is Mr. Frank Mulumba from Southern Part of Abidjan Ivory Coast
and I’m presently in South Africa with our family funds (Family Investment
Funds) which is presently in the bank (First National Bank FNB Bank ) South
Africa for an investment transaction and partnership with you or your
company into any viable and profitable investment project or idea in your
country. We decided to embark on this foreign Investment Project in your
country because of the political instabilities, war and several unrest in
my country leadership in Ivory Coast.
Im presently in South Africa for this transfer process through the
appointed assistance of our family lawyer here In South Africa.
Please do email me urgently if you are interested in this investment
partnership with our family.
My contact cell is +27-73-714-2741 OR Email me direct with the secured
personal email *mulumbaprivate@gmail.com*
NOTE; Do send to our family your personal contact details and all needed
information for further discussions with you in this transaction.
We wait positively
Thank you.
Yours Sincerely
Mr. Frank Mulumba
My contact cell is +27-73-714-2741
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