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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:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- ",500,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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: H.E Umaro Sissoco < info@lee.org >
Date:
Subject:
Attention:
We are pleased to inform you that your Four Million Five Hundred
Thousand United States Dollars ($4,500,000.00 USD) have been
awarded to you by the ECOWAS Council Republic of Benin for your
compensation scam victims and we are happy to announce that your
email address was found among the list of those who have lost
their money in one way or the other while trying to get money
from Africa and other parts of the world.
We thereby want you to contact United Bank for Africa (UBA) with
information below and ask them what you will do to have your
funds transferred through an online account and with this method
you can transfer your funds online by yourself.
Contact information provided:
Bank Managing Director: Mr. Gbenga Makinde
E-mail:redacted@domain.name
Phone Number: +229-67635194
We look forward to your hearing as soon as possible.
Signed by the Chairman of the ECOWAS Council,
H.E Umaro Sissoco Embaló
Thanks and God bless you.
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Anti-fraud resources:
