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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:
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "my direct telephone number" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
- "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 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.
Fraud email example:
From: ALHAJI ISAAH MOHAMMED <nexo1@arnet.com.ar>
Reply-To: <alhajiisaah2014@yandex.com>
Date: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:11:31 -0300
Subject: TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
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FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
DEPT: FOREIGN FUND MONITORY & INVESTIGATING UNIT
FEDERAL SECRETARIAT IKEJA
LAGOS NIGERIA
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL
ALHAJI ISAAH MOHAMMED
DIRECT TELEPHONE: 234 80 269 404 58
Email: alhajiisaah2014@yandex.com
OUR REF FGN/ FMIU/ 05/ 2014 Your Ref: …………
Attn: Sir / Madam
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
HAVE YOU RECEIVED YOUR FUND, IF NOT CONTACT US FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF
YOUR FUND IN THIS FIRST QUARTER PAYMENT OF THE YEAR 2014?
YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS APPEAR IN THE LIST OF PAYMENT THAT IS WHY I AM
CONTACTING YOU. YOU ARE TO PHONE ME IMMEDIATELY YOU RECEIVE THIS MAIL
ON MY DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER 234 80 269 404 58.
YOUR URGENT REPLY IS AWAITED.
YOURS FAITHFULLY
ALHAJI ISAAH MOHAMMED
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Anti-fraud resources:
