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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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- ghassan123@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr.Mohamed Ghassan" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ghassan123@aim.com>
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 2009 21:45:48 -0700
Subject: FROM: GREETING FROM U.A.E
Dear Friend,
Greetings from U.A.E, my name is Mr.Mohamed Ghassan, an Ethiopian national. I am an international consultant in
the oil industry in the United Arab Emirates and Asia.
I seek your consent for your company to be used in an oil sales deal. My clients are top employees of an oil firm
and wish to have a reputable company to act as a partner in a deal to be executed next week.
We have find Buyer and he is ready to pay without letting the Government know as we have done with him before
last month and we need your company to be our partner to receive the payment from the buyer and you earn the
brokerage of 35% for using your company.
All we required from you is to endorse contracts Agreement with our Company. Then the copy will be send to the
Buyer with your account information to wire the money to your account.You will earn 35% of this brokerage which
runs into millions of dollars depending on the volume of contract.
Right now we are negotiating for a 12 month revolving contract of 4million barrels per month/deal.Do please
confirm your interest in this transaction by forwarding the following information on your response:
Company Name/Address:
Your Name:
Your Address:
Country:
Age:
Sex:
Occupation:
Position:
Telephone/ Mobile & Fax:
We will be in a pole position to discuss more on your response.+971509101132
Thanks and regards.
Mohamed Abdul Fattah Ghassan
Contact me Through Email: ghassan123@aim.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
