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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:
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand u.s 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)
- "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)
- "abidjan" (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.
Fraud email example:
From: LYNDIA BURU <lyndia.buru@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: lyndia_buru@live.fr
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:27:54 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Dear Respectful One.
Dear Respectful One.
I am writing this mail to you with tears in my heart, Though I have not met with you before but I believed that you are God sent to me in this Life which i believed that Almighty God will speak to you concerning my conditions.
It's my pleasure to contact you for a business venture which I intend to establish in your country. I am Miss Lyndia Buru (A Girl of 25 Years) from Ivory Coast and the only Daughter of Late Mr/Mrs Johnson Buru
My Late Mother Died when i was Three years old, while my Late Father Died in the year 2008 after a brief illness that lasted for only Ten days.
There is this huge Amount of Two Million;Eight Hundred Thousand U.S Dollars ($2,800,000.00) which my late father kept in a finance company here in Abidjan the Capital City Of Ivory Coast. Now I have decided to move out with this money to your country or anywhere safe enough for investment and to further my education Etc.
I want you to help me to retrieve this Fund from the Finance company here to your country home for investment purposes. If you can be of an assistance to me i will be pleased to offer you 30% Of the total fund and i will like you to stand as my late Father's foreign partner and my guardian.
I await your immediate response in regards to this mail.
Thank you and God bless you.
Yours Sincerely
Miss Lyndia Buru
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