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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:
- "million us dollars" (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)
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- sarasantiagogarcia@consultant.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Sara Satiango Gracia" (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2015 22:26:48 +0100
Subject: Dying intestate of my client.
My name is Sara Santiago Garcia, Attorney at Law. I have an important message for you concerning the death of Mr.Arthur,
who was my client and a citizen Canada, who happen to bear the same surname with you. He died with his
supposed Next of Kin/Heiress Apparent (wife and Daughter) in a fatal car crash in 28th July 2011. I have searched for
any other members of his relative without any fruitful result. My client left behind 8.6 Million US Dollars in a bank
here in my country Spain.
Please Contact me immediately +34 602 172 574 or at my private email address: (sarasantiagogarcia@consultant.com)
for more information and how to proceed so that you can assist in getting the funds left behind by my client before
it is confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank.
I await your urgent response.
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Anti-fraud resources:
