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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:
- "million 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)
- "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.
- wu0307764@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Federal Treasury Department <williamrynaq@gmail.com>
Reply-To: wu0307764@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2023 07:26:24 -0800
Subject: HELLO
Good day, Dear.
This is an official reminder from the Federal Treasury Department
concerning your payment valued ($17.4 Million United State dollars
only) We hope that you have commenced communication with the
authorized payment center, if not we encourage you to contact our
director for immediate release of your approved funds as the
appropriate beneficiary, as we have acquired all the necessary
paperwork for onward the release of your funds.
We wish to inform you through this medium that we are working hard to
arrest all the hoodlums and sue the unauthorized officials who
attempted to divert your approved funds and that have been extorting
money from the innocent individuals globally and ruining our
reputation meanwhile a secure bank in United States in City of New
York have been officially assigned to secretly handle your payment and
ensure that you receive your fund without any delay.
Our office is determined to complete your fund transfer in accordance
with the payment policy through a reliable bank in United States of
America, We decided to assign the bank in United States of America to
handle your payment for security reasons as United States of America
has the best banking systems and its one of the safest country without
scam records. This important letter is based on the email we sent to
you on march 8 2023 which we did not get any response from you stating
or confirming if you have contacted the paying bank officials in
United States of America, We observed that you are yet to contact our
payment center in New York Bank with your personal information based
on our instructions.
We urge you to contact our authorized bank payment official director
directly with your personal information for rectification of your
payment file in our office for you to be paid immediately.
Contact person: Mr. John C. Williams
Bank Name: Federal Reserve Bank
Contact Email: wu0307764@gmail.com
Thanks for your understanding and co-operations remember your payment
have been approved globally to be paid to you without delay.
Respective in services,
Mr. Alfred McCabe
Information officer.
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Anti-fraud resources:
