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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:
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- 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.
- helebujohn@yahoo.com (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
- mail.xsedu.zj.cn tue, 24 aug 2010 14:02:54 gmt reply-to: from: 'helebu john' subject: re:unclaimed (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: SRS0=SBkMC9F/=P5=aol.com=crfplc@drogenpolitik.org
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:04:03 -0400 (EDT)
Subject:
by HZDFYD.com MailServer with ESMTP by
mail.xsedu.zj.cn Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:02:54 GMT
Reply-To: <helebujohn@yahoo.com>
From: "HELEBU JOHN"<crfplc@aol.com>
Subject: RE:UNCLAIMED FUND
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:02:29 -0700
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="Windows-1251"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000
UNCLAIMED FUND
Attention Please,
I am an accountant in the Bills and Exchange of the Foreign Remittance Department of Oceanic Bank Nigeria Plc. I am writing to know if you can make a deal with me. I discovered an unclaimed inheritance funds totaling USD $5.500.000 (Five Million Five hundred thousand United States Dollars) in my bank, and I will like to present you as the next of kin to the account so that it will be transferred to you, the sharing formula will be discussed as soon as you indicate interest.
Contact me if you are interested with your full details.
John Helebu.
+234-1-4092708.
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Anti-fraud resources:
