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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:
- "death certificate" (this phrase is often used in inheritance scams such as next of kin or https://www.419scam.org/419-murdered-businessman.htm">orphan scams. )
- 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.
- madammahakhalaf110@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Madam Maha khalaf" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <madammahakhalaf110@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2014 23:58:57 -0700
Subject: DEAR BELOVED
I am writing to inform you the situation we are facing here in Niamey,.. am from Libya and my husband is one of the late Gaddafi sons driver. it was my husband who took Gaddafi family to Niger and Algeria when they ran from Libya. but he came back to Libya and died when their convoy was hit by NATO bomb. but he told me something very important when he was alive. he told me how he took some money from Gaddafi son and kept it in a secret place and Gold.
i have 4 children for my husband. I am seeking your help to stand as my upfront receiver of the FUNDS & GOLD, that means i will name you as our foreign beneficiary receiver of the Fund and the Gold, all i need is your trust and sincerity and i know you will not betray us...
When i hear from you i will discuss more on the easy way to go about it and how you can contact the vaults company where the Fund and the Gold was Deposited for safe-keeping ..meaning that i will provide you with the Deposited Certificate of the Fund and the Gold and Death certificate of my late Husband and also provide you the full details of the company for you to contact the company..
Kindly view the attach file ..you will find my picture and my children....
Waiting to hearing from you...
Yours Sincerely,
Madam Maha Khalaf
madammahakhalaf110@gmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
