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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:
- "million united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "west africa fund monitoring unit" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. David Ellis" <jamesaderman238@gmail.com>
Reply-To: "Mr. David Ellis" <atm.carddepartmentoffice@vp.pl>
Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2017 23:54:34 +0900 (JST)
Subject: CONFIRM FROM ATM CARD CENTER IMMEDIATELY.
Greetings;
This is to officially inform you that we have written to you before without
getting respond from you and we believe that our previous mail did not get to
you, therefore we write you again. We are contacting you concerning the release
of your compensation fund / Draft Cheque /ATM Card which have been delayed for
transfer by some officials who claim to be in position of your fund thereby
extorting money from you in one way or the other.
Your Fund worth sum of US$7.5 Million united state dollars has finally been
approved for transfer by the West Africa Fund Monitoring Unit. Your fund will
be transfer to you via MasterCard ATM which is cash able in any ATM machine or
Bank anywhere in the world. Your inability to meet up with some charges levied
against you due to the past transfer options, We the Board of Directors, Bank
Of Africa (BOA); United Bank For Africa(UBA); Central Bank Of Benin (CBB) with
World Bank has ordered our Foreign Payment Remittance Unit to issue you a
CORPORATE ATM DEBIT CARD to your name for you to receive your payment without
any further story.
When going through payment and compensation files this morning to enable us
audit payment/compensation paid out to foreign beneficiaries today, we got
notice that your Payment has been uploaded into this CORPORATE ATM CARD and
also have registered it with C.O.D {-ENDEGTF03-} by the Courier Company which
will delivery to you by choice as follow; FedEx- DHL- UPS or this fund will be
wire into your Bank Account in your country. You are required to choose the
nearest Courier Office for the delivery of your ATM CARD Parcel to your home
address, as I have paid for all the necessary Documentation here and you will
only paid for the delivery charges. You can now contact the ATM VISA CARD
Center for more information and the delivery bellow:
Full Names: /
Home Address: /
Direct cell Number: /
Country:/
Occupation: /
Your Copy Identity Card: /
Here is the World Bank contact information bellow;
Mr. Dom Julius(Director)
Direct Office Number :+229 68376810
Thanks and my Regards
Mr. David Ellis
Customer Unit.
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Anti-fraud resources:
