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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:
- "huge sum of money" (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)
- "fund beneficiary" (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)
- "nuhu ribadu" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "farida waziri" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "charles soludo" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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.
- mribrahimlamorde67@aol.com (AOL; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "EFCC" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <e.f.c.c@ananzi.co.za>
Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 08:00:28 -0000
Subject: FUND TRANSFER DELAY: ARE YOU THE TRUE BENEFICIARY?
Attention:
I am writing in regards to an unattended file in your names which has been on the EFCC's desk for some years now which is supposed to be for the transfer of some huge sum of money to you by the Central Bank of Nigeria during the stewardship of Mr Charles Soludo as CBN Governor and the Chairmanship of the EFCC under Mr Nuhu Ribadu/Mrs Farida Waziri.
I am contacting you to let you know the truth because i know how far you have gone in your communication with fraudsters(despite our warnings) who frequently impersonate the identity of real Government and Bank officials to help make themselves and their scam appear legitimate.
I will be ready to help in delivering your fund sum to you with your honest and sincere co-operation with my office but i do not know if i am in contact with the true fund beneficiary, if i am, do inform me accordingly through this email: mribrahimlamorde67@aol.com, if i am not then honestly ignore this letter. Thank you for your anticipated co-operation.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr Ibrahim Lamorde,
Chairman,
EFCC.
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Anti-fraud resources:
