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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "with your full names" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- nsynerigyllc@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Hayati Al-Mashood" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <nsynerigyllc@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 10 May 2016 13:04:43 -0700
Subject: To Whom It May Concern!!!
Greetings My Dear Friend
I had no other means to contact you for this business transaction other than through email. I am sorry if you will be offended by mymessage. I am Mrs. Hayati Al-Mashood the Head of Accounting Audit Department of Empire Bank here in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I discovered a sum of USD 25.5M in an account that belongs to
one of our foreign deceased customers who died of heart attack and he was from your country. Our bank has been waiting for any of the relatives to come forth to claim the money but nobody has done that SINCE 2010.
I seek your consent as my foreign business partner in this transaction to present you as the next of kin/Beneficiary to the deceased, so that the funds will be released to you because, you fit in to stand as the next of kin to our late client considering the fact that you bear the same last name as our late client and am sure that the USD 25.5M will be released to you and shared 50% for you, 50% for me.
Get back to me with your Full names and direct telephone numbers for more details
Best Regards
Mrs. Hayati Al-Mashood
REPLY TO: nsynerigyllc@gmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
