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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:
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "huge sum of money" (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)
- "million 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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- 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.
- michael.99howard9@googlemail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Administrator <michaelhoward95@rocketmail.com>
Reply-To: michael.99howard9@googlemail.com
Date: Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:12:51 +0300
Subject: GET BACK TO ME...
Hello
First, I want to introduce myself as barrister Michael Howard. I am the personal attorney of the Late Roger Wright the CEO of Arsenal Investimentos whom died in a plane crash on the 22nd May 2009.
I don't know if you've heard of the news but you can check the links below to comfirm it:
REUTERS: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE54M1PT20090523
ARTICLES: http://article.wn.com/view/2009/05/24/Brazil_plane_crash_kills_10_family_members/
CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/05/23/brazil.crash/
MIRROR: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/05/25/plane-crash-kills-family-115875-21387147/
Now, I want to know if I can confide in you for the success of this proposal which I am about to make. I've been a personal attorney and confidant of the late Roger Wright whom died in the plane crash. I wish to let you know that he has a huge sum of money which he deposited with Security company in Spain before he died and as a matter of fact, his child whom was the next of kin to these funds also died in the same plane with him and now there's no one to lay claims to this funds. The amount in question is the sun of 56,000,000 ( Fifty six million dollars).
I will like to know if I can confide in you so that we can transfer this money into your private account succesfully without raising eye brows of which there after I will come over to meet with you for disbursment.
I Am telling you this in confidence and I will like you to keep this to yourself.. All I need is your maximum co-operation in this and I will like us to do this jointly so that we can seal this deal in less than 10 working days. I look forward to your response there after I will give you more details but for now, write me back on my private email address.
michael.99howard9@googlemail.com
Looking forward to your response.
Barrister Michael Howard.
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Anti-fraud resources:
