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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:
- "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
- "00,000.00" (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)
- This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
- They don't notify winners by email.
- You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
- They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
- They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
- They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
- They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
- They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
- 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.
- +27827551748 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)
- 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.
- worldcupagent@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: South African 2010worldcup <worldcup2010sa15@msn.com>
Reply-To: <worldcupagent@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 13:05:36 +0000
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
This is to inform you that the Lottery Game Consulting and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the 2010 World Cup, here in the Republic of South Africa, has held an Internet Raffle Draw, and your Email Address was among the five Lucky winners that were involved in this Third Quarter Raffle Draw.
Therefore, You have won ( GBP 500,000.00 Five Hundred Thousand Great Britain Pounds) Ref: BTD/968/05 , winning No: 24/2/6/37/15/45 with a ticket number: B9665 75604546 199 in the just concluded draw held to promote South African 2010 World cup,
(Note: This was an online program and no ticket was sold in the process but instead was bought off by the sponsors).
DELIVERY AGENT CONTACT NFORMATION:
Name: Mr Sisulu Lucky
Email: worldcupagent@gmail.com
Phone; Number +2782-755-1748
Address: Universal Building,
132 - 133 Park Hurst Balfour - Unite 1440 Johannesburg,
Gauteng 2001 South Africa.
Please call your claim Agent Mr Sisulu Lucky. On his Number +2782 -755-1748
Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Sandra Nzama
(Zonal coordinator)
Anti-fraud resources:
