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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:
- "my direct telephone number" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- mrjosephodaniel@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: MR JOSEPH O DANIEL <mrjosephodanie222@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 01:24:29 -0700
Subject: GO THROUGH AND GET BACK TO ME.
we have been mandated by the United Nation and the International
Monitoring fund (IMF) to pay all Inheritance/contract fund
The bank have also approved your fund worth $7.5 million which you
will receive through ATM Card so that you can make withdraw any where
in the world.
I have also with my veto power get some of the necessary documents
that will cover your fund to avoid any authority stopping your fund on
the way to your house, we are going to send your ATM card with four
digits pin number.
All you have to do is to send to me your house address where we can
deliver your ATM loaded with your fund and your direct telephone
number where you can be reached.
Get back to me so that we can proceed.call me on my direct telephone
number:+234-802-202-9550:E-mail mrjosephodaniel@gmail.com
Thanks and have a nice day.
MR JOSEPH O.DANIEL
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Anti-fraud resources:
