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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.
- 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.
- +447031921833 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
Fraud email example:
From: "British Scottish Bank" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <wilson.london-scottish_bnk@europe.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2015 16:40:30 +0330
Subject: CAN I TRUST YOU_
I NEED YOUR CONSENT URGENTLY.
I am Mr. Andrew Wilson presently working at the remittance department at the British Scottish Bank here in London. I got your contact while searching for a next of kin to late Mr. Alfred white who was a supplier of Petroleum products here in London. He was among the dead victim at the Quebec town, Canada train blast of July 2013. Before his death, he was a very good friend and also a customer to our bank here in London. He owned an account with our bank without any of his relation knowing about the funds worth US$1.7Million in his bank account.
View the link of the Train blast in Canada below for sincerity sake.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23266074
We have been looking forward for any foreigner to produce as Late Mr. Alfred next of kin because My bank is about placing the funds in a suspense account and thereafter send it to the British Government Charitable organisation at the end of December 2015. For the fact that you're a foreigner like late Mr. Alfred, it will be easy to produce your name as his nect of kin and the funds can be wired into your bank account. However, the shearing formula for the US$1.7 mILLION is that you shall have 30% of the total sum while 70% shall be for me and other officials involve after the successful transfer of the funds into your given account.
Please note that this transaction is with uttermost secrecy, incase you are not interested, kindly delete this email because of official involved. Give me a call for further details incase you need more light on this transaction.
Regards
Mr. Andrew Wilson
Remittance Department
British Scottish bank. London
Tel: +44 703 192 1833
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Anti-fraud resources:
