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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:
- "international remittance department" (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: "Martha Grayson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <theclearinghousenewyork@nycmail.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2017 22:23:18 -0800
Subject: KINDLY READ AND RESPOND
THE CLEARING HOUSE PAYMENT LLC
Advancing Payment Solutions Worldwide
450 W 33rd St. New York
NY10001 USA
Our Ref: CH-IP/US/09301994/10
Dated: 28/11/17
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
Greetings and trusting you are well indeed. The Clearing House Interbank Payment Systems (CHIPS) has just uncovered after an internal audit floating unclaimed funds in exact value of six million eight hundred and fifty thousand (US$6.850M) United States Dollars and according to the information on our file there are possible listing of possible beneficiaries. Due to gross irregularities experienced in the payment sections of banks over the past five years it has become impossible to ascertain the true and actual beneficiaries to these floating unclaimed funds. The purpose of contacting you is because according to records provided to our office your name shows up to having dealt with incoming transfers within the past five years and it is imperative that you provide the requested information outlined below:
Complete Name: ......................................................................................................................................
Day and Night Telephone Numbers: ........................................................................................................
Position: ....................................................................................................................................................
Company: ..................................................................................................................................................
Address 1: ..................................................................................................................................................
Address 2: ..................................................................................................................................................
State: .........................................................................................................................................................
Post code / Zip code: .................................................................................................................................
Country: .....................................................................................................................................................
E-mail: ........................................................................................................................................................
Date of Birth: ..............................................................................................................................................
Sex: {Male/Female}.....................................................................................................................................
Marital Status: ............................................................................................................................................
Next of Kin: .................................................................................................................................................
Relationship: ...............................................................................................................................................
Address: ......................................................................................................................................................
Kindly supply the above requested information and forward same to official email address for sorting purposes. Once the supplied information is received and can be authenticated to the aforementioned floating unclaimed funds (US$6.850M), you shall immediately be contacted by the Director of International Remittance Department for onward bank to bank wire to any nominee receiving bank account of your choice. Do understand that as the recipient to these funds, all supplied information would be destroyed and not duplicated to a third party according to the United States of America Identity Protection Rights Control Act.
Thank you
Kindest regards,
Martha Grayson
Swift Transfer Coordinator
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