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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.
- 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:
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- 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.
- finfen.tforce@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Barr. Mark Long" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <finfen.tforce@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2015 23:41:40 +0100
Subject: Re: DID YOU AUTHORIZE THIS???
FINANCIAL FRAUD ENFORCEMENT TASK FORCE
Security Operation Code: (FDMO / IDMO / 793XXCL / 04)
Our Ref: USSR /SNT/STB, file first part payment USD$800,000.00
For more details about the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force:
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/president-obama-establishes-interagency-financial-fraud-enforcement-task-force
This is to officially inform you that we have verified your payment file and discovered that your Tax Refund/Contract/Inheritance/Compensation payment has been illegally delayed by some corrupt officials.
With the recent security check and ongoing investigation in financial fraud by the FFETF we found out that some corrupt officials have been diverting payments illegally to personal accounts and as a result most beneficiaries have not received their entitlement/compensation.
A Circular/Query was sent from the Treasury Section this morning to enable my office Confirm that you issued a letter of Authorityfor a change of Beneficiary and receiving address from your name/Address to Mr. Reinhard from Luxembourg.
The circular stated that one Mr. Reinhard came to the Treasury Department claiming to be from your sisters company in Luxembourg with a letter of Authority purported to have been written by you that the total Inheritance sum should be transferred into your sisters Company Account in Luxembourg.
Kindly answer the questions below.
Do you know Mr. Reinhard?
Did you authorize the change of beneficiary?
Are you ready to receive your payment?
Your immediate response is required so we can finalize or stop all payments to him.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All communication with every other person or office in regards to your delayed payment should STOP. Failure to do so, you may be held as accomplice to financial fraud.
Get back to me for further directives.
Thank You.
Barr. Mark Long
Email: finfen.tforce@gmail.com
(301) 531-5426
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Anti-fraud resources:
