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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:
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "my direct line" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
- "lee.johnleeifc@yandex.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: International Finance Corporation <info@ifc.com.gh>
Reply-To: lee.johnleeifc@yandex.com
Date: Tue, 03 Jan 2017 07:53:44 -0600
Subject: ARE YOU DEAD OR ALIVE ? HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!
International Finance Corporation
IFC
No. 1 Central Link Street
South-Legon,Accra
Attention Beneficiary,
This is to inform you that this office did received payment advice from
The National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in conjunction with the
Ministry of Finance of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria to pay to you the total amount of US$5.8 Million.
Note that a final approval has been given to your claim and your funds
have been transferred from the
International Finance Corporation World Bank Group who has the final
authority to transfer out of the shores such amount of Fund.
We have just received an email from one Mrs Susan Covey who introduced
herself as your next of kin also that you have instructed her to
receive the funds into her account on your
behalf. Mrs Susan Covey informed us that you are dead also that the
instruction was given to her before your death. We have asked her to
forward the copy of the letter you gave
her but have not yet heard from her. We are writing you to confirm this
message and if it is not true, you are required to forward with
immediate effect the following information
to enable us carry out this transfer to your account within the next 72
hours.
Forward as a matter of urgency the following:
FULL NAMES AND ADDRESS:..................
DIRECT TELEPHONE:........................
The only thing required from you is to obtain the transfer
Authorization code which proves that you are the rightful beneficiary of
this fund as we don't want the fund to get to
the wrong hands.
And also endeavor to give me a call if you know you did not send Mrs
Susan Covey to claim your funds. Confirm receipt of this mail on my
Direct Line:
Please Respond to this email address: lee.johnleeifc@yandex.com
And Call Me On This Number: +233-231-365423
Await your urgent response.
Rev.John Lee
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Anti-fraud resources:
