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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:
- "security keeping fee" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "consignment " (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)
- "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- 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: =?UTF-8?Q?Senadora_Ver=C3=B3nica=2E?= <ayukagenesis@gmail.com>
Reply-To: fedexex_pres@outlook.com
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2022 05:33:49 -0700
Subject: FedEx Courier services
Dear My Good Friend,
I have paid for the delivery fee of $110 of your ATM CARD to the FedEx
Courier services Nigeria. They promised that your ATM CARD will leave
immediately they received your re-confirmed information to avoid wrong
delivery.
Now contact them with your detail information below. The only money
you will send to the FedEx is for official security keeping fee which
is $36 per day to enable them settle the security department of their
company and deliver your consignment direct to your home address in
your country which you will forward to FedEx in the below contact
information soon ok.
Contact Person: Mr. Godwin Ifeanyi,
Their E-mail address: fedexex_pres@outlook.com
Their Phone number: +2348156100504.
Here is the requested information needed by the Director of the FedEx
Diplomatic Division which they instructed me to email you to provide
for them while contacting them for easier identification when the
diplomat arrives in your country okay.
Kindly re-confirm to them the following information:
My full name:
Name of city of Residence:
Country:
Your direct cell phone number:
Nearest airport:
Yours Faithfully,
Senadora Verónica.
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