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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:
- "hundred thousand 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)
- "deadline" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- 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.
- offcefille11@aol.com (AOL; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Dr. David Abissah" <offi4444@gmail.com>
Reply-To: offcefille11@aol.com
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2020 00:00:11 -0700
Subject: Dear Customer
Dear Customer
We have been mandated by the Federal Ministry of Finance to release
your pending fund worth Two Million Eight Hundred Thousand United
State Dollars to you ( $2.8 Million).
This agreement was reached on the first annual meeting with the
Federal Ministry of Finance Benin Republic to release all pending
funds of individuals whose funds has been on hold/pending by the
Financial institution, thereby giving a mandate to release the funds
to its owners within the next 31 days which is approximately one
Month.
We are Contacting you because your file is been reviewed in our office
here to release your fund to you immediately without wasting any much
time before the deadline date which was giving by the Government as
they instructed that any individual/organization that fails to comply
to this will stand to lose its fund s to the Government treasury
account.
You are to get back to us immediately with the below information to
confirm your data with us and proceed with the release of your fund to
you immediately.
Full Name:
Address:
Country:
Date of Birth
Phone Number:
Email Address:
Occupation:
As soon as you provide us with these few information's, we will get
back to you with the simple steps to have your fund released to you
before the giving date by the Federal Ministry of Finance.
You are the lucky one, so kindly update us with the needed
information's to get this transaction to a successful end.
Thank You
Dr. David Abissah
UBA VISA CREDIT UNION offcefille11@aol.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
