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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- 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.
- johnsonmuthusamy77@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "MR.JOHNSON" <muthusamyjohnson13@gmail.com>
Reply-To: "MR.JOHNSON" <mrjohnsonmuthusamy@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 19 May 2015 08:55:49 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: business proposal !!!.
Dear Sir/Madam
My name is Johnson Muthusamy a financial adviser base in Malaysia. I had a foreign late client that deposited the sum of Five Million United, States Dollars deposited in one of the leading financial firms here in Malaysia. None of the relatives knows about this deposit as the deposit was made in high confidence. All documents associated with this fund are with me as his financial adviser.
I am requesting to work with you in confidence to get the above sum release to your name as a foreign beneficiary/next of kin.
The fund here may be taken to the account of the management of the financial firm where the fund is deposited considering the fact that the date to release the fund to the beneficiary/next of kin has elapsed.
I will apply for the release of the fund with your name as the beneficiary upon confirmation of your full names, address and telephone contact details.
Sharing modalities will be made known to you once you indicate your interest to execute this transaction with me in top confidence.
I stop so far until I hear from you. Email :johnsonmuthusamy77@gmail.com
Thanks
mr johnson muthusamy.
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Anti-fraud resources:
