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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:
- ",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)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- hussienahmed1940@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Hussien Ahmed" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <hussienahmed1940@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:41:28 +0800
Subject: Let me know your willingness!
Hello,
Please do not be offended that am using this medium to contact you. I want you to please take your kind and precious time to read down this mail. I wish to introduce you into a business proposition which I strongly believe will be of a high mutual benefits to the both of us. Hence you pledge your utmost honesty, confidentiality and sincerity. My name is Mr.Hussien Ahmed.I am 58 years old. Am an attorney at law. I am requesting for your confidential assistance to claim the sum of money ($4,500,000.00) on behalf of my late client who happens to come from your country.He deposited this money with a security and finance company since 2003. The company has issued me a note to present the next of kin to this safe deposit.
After a deep search and personal investigation I carried out regarding my late client family member with out any one knowing my intentions I discovered that all the family members who supposed to claim this money died in a natural disaster leaving no one to lay claim to this money. Having issued a note from the security and finance company to bring along the next of kin to this safe deposit. I decided to look for a trustworthy/confidential person from your country that I will present to put a claim to this safe deposit.
My reason of contacting you is to seek for your consent to put you through as the next of kin to this safe deposit and of the fact that you came from the same country with my late client so that the proceed of this inheritance will be done in your name. I PROMISE AND GUARANTEE you that this transaction is 100%safe and hitch free for you and I hence all we are going to do will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Once this money is in your possessions. I will then fly down to your country to meet with you for the sharing of this money upon an agreed percentage
The sharing ratio will be 50% of this money for me, 40% for your kind self.While 10% will be mapped out for any expenses we made both in securing the legal documents and transferring of this money to your designated bank account.
Please let me know your willingness to pursue and execute this transaction with me. by an urgent response.Please contact me with my private email hussienahmed1940@gmail.com
Regards,
Mr.Hussien Ahmed.
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