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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:
- 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:
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Ahmed Toure <ahmed24.tou@msn.com>
Reply-To: <ahmedtoure02@live.fr>
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:51:58 +0000
Subject: Assistance Confidential
FROM MR. AHMED TOURE
DIRECTOR AUDITING/ACCOUNT DEPT OF ADB
BURKINA FASO OUAGADOUGOU
TEL: +226 78 36 17 17
TRANSFER OF 25.200 UNITED STATE DOLLARS, I am Mr. Ahmed Toure the Director of account department African development bank Ouagadougou Burkina Faso.
I am contacting you via your email as the urgency of the transaction is required. to ensure an immediate and smooth transfer of this above funds hence because of the policy of the bank that states that after five or six years of the demise of the deceased and his or her relative fails to appear, the funds is bound to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed bills, and this is why i want you to act fast by complying with me as the real next of kin to the deceased customer late Mr. John korovo who die on 26Th December 2003 plane crash Benin Republic.
However, I will like to clarify you on the total risk free of this transaction; also i assure you that you are not going violet any law here in Burkina Faso till this funds transfer to your account.
The percentage will be 50 % / 50% as soon as the funds transfer to your account.
I will send you letter of application immediately I received your acceptation mail to assist me.
Yours faithful
Mr. Ahmed Toure
Director audit/accouant dept.
Tel : +226 78 36 17 17
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Anti-fraud resources:
