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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.
- 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.
- zenithbankplbenin@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Maria Fatuma" <valerioghirelli@alice.it>
Reply-To: zenithbankplbenin@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2015 11:10:02 +0100 (CET)
Subject: Communicate with the paying bank for Your $6.5M
We have received an instructional letter today from the office of the
presidency under the instruction of the USA Financial Services
Authorities asking us to conclude the crediting all outstanding funds
belonging to Foreign Beneficiaries without any delay with immediate
effect which this bank is simply following the instructions to ensure
all beneficiaries are paid without any delay as approved.
Your name and personal information,s reflected on our central computer
as an unpaid beneficiary of usd$6.5M by the Retired administrative of this
humble
bank which is the reason we are contacting you so that you will be
paid without any delay.
Kindly Contact ZENITH BANK LTD
Payment Director::Mr.Frank Banglee
Telephone: +228 6899-3758
Fax: 0022-9612-00497
Email:(zenithbankplbenin@gmail.com
Kindly furnish your details: Full name,Home address,Phone numbers,Occupation
and Bank credential::
Information,s officer
For Mr. presidency
Mrs. Maria Fatuma
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Anti-fraud resources:
