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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)
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- 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.
- tfostersmile49@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Theresa Foster" <juan.jorquera@banff.cl>
Reply-To: "tfostersmile49@gmail.com" <tfostersmile49@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2015 14:06:57 -0400 (CLT)
Subject: My Dream (Remain Blessed)
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Dear Sir/Madam
May the peace of the Lord be upon you and your household? I write you this mail with utmost sincerity and truth, hoping you will be of great help to me. I am Theresa Foster, a 69yrs old English woman battling with Ovarian Cancer and fibroid, would have been dead long time ago but God still kept me for a purpose. My condition at the hospital right now is very deteriorating and my doctor has confirmed that my chances of survival are very poor.
I am contacting you in regards to my dream which I will like to be fulfilled even when am gone so that I will die as a happy woman. I will write more in details when I hear back from you and I beg you not to look down on an old sick woman dream as it will affect so many people’s life's positively.
Please kindly respond in my private email: (tfostersmile49@gmail.com) and always keep me in your prayers.
Remain Blessed.
Your sister,
Mrs. Theresa Foster
"WHAT WE DO FOR OURSELVES DIES WITH US... WHAT WE DO FOR OTHERS AND THE WORLD REMAINS, AND IS... IMMORTAL"
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Anti-fraud resources:
