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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:
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "economic and financial crimes commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "(efcc)" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- 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.
- economicfinancialc577@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)"<support@techrepublicbd.com>
Reply-To: economicfinancialc577@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:38:56 -0700
Subject: URGENT ATTENTION NEEDED/
ECONOMIC FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC)
15A Awolowo Rd, Ikoyi, Lagos Nigeria
Attention; Beneficiary
This is to bring to your notice that we have apprehended those who have extorted money from you under false pretense all in the name of awarding you your inheritance funds in the past years.
After thorough investigation from the these suspects, they confessed to us the victims they have extorted money from all in the name of giving to them their lottery winnings/contract payments or inheritance funds. You are among the victims they mentioned to us.
The government has decided to compensate all scam victims with the help of the UN and ICPC.
You have been awarded the sum of $3.2M as compensation funds.
Please get back to us and you will be informed on directives on how to receive the compensation funds
Please do respond to this email address: economicfinancialc577@gmail.com
Yours Sincerely;
John Madu
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
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Anti-fraud resources:
