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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:
- "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
- 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.
- johnwhiteusajj@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: " Thomas" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <johnwhiteusajj@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2012 03:58:12 -0800
Subject: YOUR ONE OF THEM
>From World Bank Debt reconciliation committee.
>From the office of The Director.- General
>From Mr Vinod Thomas
Dear Beneficiary,
We Want to inform you concerning the economic empowerment which the World Bank has started this month to assist Small scale Businesses and some of the Companies that have been bankrupt because of the economic melt down globally.
Also if you are a victim of fraud in any form trying to receive your contract fund, inheritance payment, lottery winners in the past and was not successful due to some financial obligation that you couldn’t meet. However your name has been listed among the beneficiaries from the 29countries that is going to receive One Million five Hundred thousand British Pounds sterling from HSBC Bank London.
You are advised to contact Mr. James White
Email:johnwhiteusajj@hotmail.com
Telephone; 44-7405273
Kindly contact him immediately for the urgent releasing of your fund.
Best regards,
Mr Vinod Thomas
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Anti-fraud resources:
