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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:
- ",000,000" (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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "foreign exchange" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "C.E.O Martin Johnson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ofolix@email.cz>
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2017 01:50:20 +0100
Subject: Urgent! Await your reply.
Attn:
I have been waiting for you since to contact me to know if i should send the payment through Wire Transfer or Bank Draft Total Amount USD 8,000,000 (Eight Million United State Dollar) as your own agent share for the Rail-Way Contract for China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) for the construction of coastal railway line at which was done at $11.117billion.
Engineer Mark Williams a United State Citizen who instructed to send the payment to you and told me you will contact me died in a fatal car accident November 10th 2016 and since then i have tried all means to contact you.
If no claims on the payment in the next 3 weeks i will have no choice than to file a return of the payment to the Federal Government Treasury as unclaimed client fund.
I hope this time you receive my email without problem of delivery and also let me know the payment option you prefer.
Await your reply.
Ofolix Bureau De Change Limited
C.E.O Martin Johnson
About Us.
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Ofolix Bureau De Change Ltd provides reliable and effect financial services for foreign exchange solutions.Founded in 1986, the company had been one of the leading dealers for over two decades, backed with world class service delivery that meets both the business and personal needs of our customers.
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Anti-fraud resources:
