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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:
- ",000,000" (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.
- mrhuang000005@yahoo.com.tw (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "MR HUANG" <Aladem@formex.co.za>
Reply-To: mrhuang000005@yahoo.com.tw
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 2011 00:49:51 +0200
Subject: BUSINESS TRANSACTION......
HELLO,
How is business in your country? I am Mr huang, Bank Manager of
bank of Taiwan. Please keep the contents of this mail confidential.
A British Oil contractor Mr.Bowen Atkinson made a numbered time (Fixed)
Deposit of $30,000,000.00 for twelve calendar months and not too long he
died in a plane crash.
We have launched an investigation into possible surviving next of kin to
claim his estate but in his bio-data form, he listed no next of kin.
I alone have the deposit details and my bank will release the deposit
to no one unless evidence of relationship with the deceased, which i
shall provide.
My bank has no single idea of the history or nature of the deposit and
they are simply awaiting my instructions to release the deposit to any
party that i present to them.
I wish to present you as the direct beneficiary to the deposit. I will
furnish you with detail of this transaction upon your reply to my
private Email: mrhuang000005@yahoo.com.tw
Mr Huang.
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Anti-fraud resources:
