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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "your country for safe keeping" (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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- 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.
- rosinarich02@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "rosinarich1@libero.it" <rosinarich1@libero.it>
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 17:35:13 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: Please direct me
Dearest,
Please
permit me to introduce myself to you. I am Miss Rosina Richard 20 years
old. I was adopted by an Israeli Mother late Mrs. Elizabeth Richard.
She
deposited the value of (USD10.5M) in a financial institution here in my
name as her next of Kin. I need your kind and urgent assistance to
transfer this inheritance fund to your country for safe keeping and
investment project because my life is in danger here. Please if you are
willing to assist me in investing this fund into a secured and lucrative
business please reply immediately for further details on how to
proceed. Please reply here ( rosinarich02@yahoo.fr ) for further
details. It is genuine and 100% risk free because I have already made my
intention known to the bank management and they are ready to transfer
the fund to my chosen foreign trustee. Please I need your urgent reply.
Yours Sincerely,
Rosina Richard
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Anti-fraud resources:
