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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 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.
- nataliekuame@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Natalie Kuoame <nataliekouame@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 18 Jun 2011 09:28:58 +0800
Subject: Hello
Hello Dear,
How is everything with you, your work and family hope all is well ? I found
your email address while i was browsing through a directory in your country
so i decided to write you in good fate;
Please i want to confide in you though i don't know you and i have not met
you before but i just what to have faith in God believing that you could be
the right person.
My health is in a critical condition and the last medical report confirmed
that i have a very short time to live so because of this i want plead with
you to help me take care of my only daughter and also help invest her in
inheritance into a good business which you will manage while she continue
her education in your country because i do not want my only daughter to
suffer after i am dead and gone.
I am Mrs. Natalie from Sao Tome & Princip and I was a mistress to Mr. Kouame
who was a Cocoa Merchant in Cote d'Ivoire , He died on the 3rd of September
2010 and suspected to have been poisoned by his partners in one of his
business outing.
After his death the family drove me and my only daughter (SAMERA 17 YEARS
OLD) out of the family residence and claiming that their late brother has a
legally wedded indigenous wife with two children, I pleaded with them that
my daughter should be allowed to stay but they refused, saying that my child
is an illegitimate child because of their greediness.
But before the death of Mr. KOUAME he had given me secretly a certificate of
deposit of a Bank where he has deposited some funds 3.8 Million USD with
the name of my daughter as the next of kin to the bank account and none of
his family member is aware of this money.
Please I am pleading with you in God's name to help get this fund and
transfer it to your country on behalf of my only daughter and invest the
money in a good business which you will manage while my daughter continue
her education in your country.
Please if you can help us kindly reply me immediately to my Direct mail so
that i can give you more details. nataliekuame@gmail.com
Sincerely,
Mrs. Natalie
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