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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:
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "is 100% risk-free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Michael Lafont" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mceaft1994@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2015 00:57:33 -0800
Subject: BANK TRANSACTION!! 2-01-2015
The Regional Director
Corporate Service Bureau
International Banking Department
Ecowas Bank for Investment and Development
www.bidc-ebid.com
Greetings.
Subject: Requesting your co-operation to transfer
(US$20,000,000) Twenty Million United States Dollars inheritance funds into your private bank account.
I am the Regional Director Corporate Service Bureau of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development. I am soliciting your cooperation concerning a close friend Mark W. Toshio whose entire family were victims of the devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake that triggered tsunami through Kesennuma City in Miyagi Prefecture Japan on Friday 11th March 2011. Mark W. Toshio (deceased) has an account balance of Twenty Million United States Dollars and about Fifteen kilograms alluvial gold deposited in our bank's custody until the unexpected tragedy in Japan that wiped out the family. By privilege of being Mark W. Toshio's personal account supervisor I am privy to his files and I need your sincere co-operation to transfer these funds to a safe bank account in your country because Mark W. Toshio (deceased) presently has no next of kin to inherit these funds. I do not want to declare these huge sums of money as unclaimed funds which will just be forfeited to !
the government treasury, and as a
We will successfully wind up the transfer of these funds to your preferred bank account in your country legitimately as the beneficiary and next of kin to Mark W. Toshio (deceased) through a transparent legal documentation in your name, is rest assured that this transaction is 100% risk-free by virtue of my status in the bank and also my vast experience in the banking sector. I look forward to work with you for the successful swift transfer of these funds to your bank account which will take us between maximum of five and seven bank working days to conclude the transaction. On completion of the transfer of the funds to your bank account, I will come over to your country to meet personally with you for the disbursement of the funds 50% - 50% between us. Send me your mobile telephone number to enable us discuss further on this subject matter.
Best regards,
Michel Lafont.
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