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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:
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "my names are " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Engr Gerald
Reply-To: <mohamed20015@r7.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 2015 05:37:14 +0700
Subject: RE: REPLY.
THIS IS FOR YOUR EYES ALONE
ATTN: PROSPECTIVE PARTNER.
This business is a deal and needs maximum co-operation and should be kept in top secret between you and I.
1. I am the Auditor General of NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
)My Names are Dr Mohamed Dangote My assistant is Engr Gerald Ekeoma
We have on our list huge sum amount that we need to present a foreign partner as one of the contractors to receive payment of contracts executed before the fire outbreak in our head quarters at Ejibgo.
You and I know that you didn’t execute any contract but now that the new president of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari has mandated payment to contractors as pressure mounting on him by international communities, given that there is no actual record of contractors that participated in this contract and also the fact that I am in charge as the director I now seek your consent to front you as one of the contractors to receive payment.
NOTE: THAT I TOLD YOU FROM THE BEGINNING THAT IT’S A DEAL THEREFORE IT SHOULD BE KEPT HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL. AND UTMOST HONESTY IS REQUIRED FROM YOU.
Once the money hits your account you will take 30% for participating while 10% will be set aside for any expenses that You and I may have expended in the course of this transaction.
I WANT TO INFORM YOU THAT THERE IS EXPENSES WHICH YOU SHOULD DO BECAUSE AS AN OFFICER OF THIS ORGANIZATION I WILL NOT BE SEEN HAVING HAND IN FINANCING THIS TRANSACTION YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
NOTE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE AS SOON AS I HEAR FROM YOU I SHALL FURTHER GIVE YOU FULL DETAILS OF THE CONTRACT AMOUNT .
THIS TRANSACTION NEEDS A CAPABLE HAND AND MATURED MIND TO BE A PARTNER PLEASE REPLYON THIS MY PRIVATE ADDRESS:
Thanks in Anticipated Co-operation and Understanding. mohamed2015@r7.com
Engr Gerald Ekeoma/ Dr Mohamed.
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Anti-fraud resources:
