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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:
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "international remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "executive governor" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
Fraud email example:
From: "John Fletcher" <info@first.us>
Reply-To: controlfile1924@outlook.com
Date: Wed, 25 May 2022 03:05:22 -0700
Subject: Your Payment is READY!!! 36.110.196.82
FROM INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT
FIRST BANK NIGERIA PLC
35 ASABA HOUSE LAGOS NIGERIA
TELEPHONE NUMBER: +2348115839204
Attn Valid Beneficiary
This is to inform you today that your total fund worth Seven
Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars {$7.5m} after our meeting
with Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the CENTRAL BANK
Executive Governor on 24th of MAY 2022 over foreign delay
payments,
NOTE. First Bank has been mandated to release your accumulated
interest of Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand United State Dollars
{$350,000.00}generated from your total fund through ATM master card
to your home ADDRESS.
Your hereby advice to update me with your current home address
where i will deliver your ATM card with minimum balance of NINETY
FIVE DOLLAR ONLY! {$95} for insurance fee.
Once again feel free to get back to me as soon as possible to
enable me serve you better.
I await for your quick response
Rev John Fletcher.
foreign remittance operation
First Bank
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Anti-fraud resources:
