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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:
- "fund beneficiary" (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)
- 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.
- unitednationoffice@citromail.hu (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "UNITED NATION PAYMENT OFFICE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mslinda@bigmir.net>
Date: Wed, 1 Nov 2017 09:07:52 +0530
Subject: CONTACT HER FOR YOUR PAYMENT _______ W
United Nation Organization
Information Section.
760 United Nations Plaza,
West Africa Region Office.
RE: DOCKET NO. OP 292.
Our Ref: UN/BKL/STB
IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF YOUR FUND US$10.5M
Attention:Fund Beneficiary
We wish to inform you that your payment of USD$10.5 Million from
United Nation
has been released and ready to be transfer to your account
We have mandated the AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK {www.afdb.org} to carry on the
transfer to your account via KTT wire transfer
Your advice to immediately contact the Head of Forging Department Of African
Development Bank {MRS KOFFI JACQUES} via this email
address:mrskoffi2007@anpa.biz Direct Contact phone +2349076417944 and send her
your information such as;
1) Your Full Name.
2) Your Contact Address
3) Your Occupation:
4) Your Age
5) Your Sex
6) Your Home Phone, Mobile/Cell Phone and fax Number.
{7}Your complete bank information
{8} Copy of your ID
Please we are very sorry for the plight you have gone through in the past.
Thanks for adhering to this instruction and once again accept out
congratulations!
Yours Sincerely,
MRS. Kiyotaka Linda
Public Information Officer.
www.un.org
unitednationoffice@citromail.hu
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Anti-fraud resources:
