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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:
- "huge amount of money" (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)
- "hundred thousand us 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)
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- 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.
- sediacon1k@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Babachir David Lawal." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sediacon8k@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2016 19:11:39 -0500
Subject: Good Morning....
Good Day,
I am Babachir David Lawal secretary general to Federal republic of Nigeria. I was appointed by new Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari. Over six months in the office I have been going through all the files of past president GoodLuck Ebele Jonathan and I find out that there was huge amount of money that he deposited in a fix deposit account in Central Bank Of Nigeria. (CBN).
I have contacted the central bank governor and he confirm to me that the sum is there and is $6.8 Million (Six Million Eight Hundred Hundred Thousand US Dollars Only) So with the power restrung to me as the secretary general of federal republic of Nigeria I am here by contacting you for this claim. If you can assure me your sincerity I will like both of us to work as a team and get the fund push to you.
Finally, If you are interested I will only advise you to contact me via this email address: (sediacon1k@gmail.com ) for more details.
Regards,
Mr. Babachir David Lawal.
Secretary General to Federal republic of Nigeria.
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Anti-fraud resources:
