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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.
- 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.
- favoracheampong@mail2ghana.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Favor Acheampong <facheampong1@i12.com>
Reply-To: favoracheampong@mail2ghana.com
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:39:55 +1000
Subject: Urgent Matter.
Good day,
I got your Contact from our chamber of commerce and industry. I believe that
you will be capable and trustworthy to do business with; this is an official
legal notice for a unclaimed fund left by one of our deceased client(name withheld)
who was a diamond dealer from africa to other part of the world,
passed away as a result of cardiac arrest.
My Name is Mr.Favor Acheampong the director in charge of auditing and
accounting unit of The International Commercial Bank Ghana,I discovered the sum
of $25.5 Million left in the deceased account in Our date base and the fund has been
lying in as a suspense account, since no one has come up for claim I hereby
solicit for your immediate response and positive committed efforts to facilitate
for the claim of this funds as the next of kin to the deceased.
Upon your positive response to this covenant I will make all necessary
information known to you so kindly get in touch with me via my direct Contact
below for more guidelines to the repatriation of this funds,only you are
truly interested Please!
Yours Sincerely
Mr. Favor Acheampong
Direct Phone: +233 207 991 474
Email: favoracheampong@mail2ghana.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
