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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:
- "good day friend" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- ps2008231@aol.co.uk (Aol, United Kingdom; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Office of paul Stanton" <paul.stanton2008@gmail.com>
Reply-To: pstanton2009@live.com
Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:03:32 +1000
Subject: Re
Good Day Friend
I am Paul Stanton ESQ.I require your confidentiality and assurance concerning the estate of my late client,Mr Robert(surname witheld) who died in a car crash with his immediate family in East London on the 5th of November 2000 leaving behind an estate valued at Nine Million Eight Hundred Thousand British Pounds Sterling only(9.8 million)with a finance company.
I had to contact you finding that you bear a similar last name with my late client and with your consent, present you to the "trustee" as my late client's family member so as to enable you put up a claim to the bank in that capacity as a next of kin of my client.
Please get in touch with me immediately if you wish to assist me in pursuing this claim.I shall assemble all the necessary documents that will be used to back up the claim.
Contact me via email(ps2008231@aol.co.uk)for better confidentiality and send to me your telephone and fax numbers to enable us discuss further on this transaction. If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you,Thanks for your understanding.
Kind Regards.
Paul Stanton ESQ
Soliciting Your Concern
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Anti-fraud resources:
