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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:
- "million united states dollars" (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 "New Partner from Paraguay" 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.
- olgadav12@googlemail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Dieter Muller" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <dmller44@sify.com>
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:20:13 +0100
Subject: I DID NOT FORGET YOU
Hello Partner,
I'm happy to inform you about our success in getting the funds transferred to a Swiss Account with the co-operation of a new
partner from paraguay who is an international business man. Presently we are in Paraguay for investment projects with our own share of the total sum. Meanwhile, we did not forget your past efforts and attempts to assist us in transferring the funds hence we decided to show some appreciation. You are to contact my secretary: Mrs. Olga Davina, Email: olgadav12@googlemail.com
Ask her to send you the total of 1 million United States dollars which I kept for your compensation for all your past efforts
and attempts to assist us in this matter. I appreciated your efforts at that time very much.
So feel free and get in touched with my secretary MRS. OLGA DAVINA and instruct her where to send the amount to you. Please
do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share the joy after all the delays at that time. In the moment, I am
very busy here because of the investment projects which me and my new partner are having at hand.
Finally, remember that I had forwarded instruction to my secretary on your behalf to receive that money, so feel free to get
in touch with MRS. OLGA DAVINA and she will send the money to you without any
delay.
Best Regards.
Dieter Muller.
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Anti-fraud resources:
