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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 us 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 next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Saloum Antwan <davidsaloum@virgilio.it>
Reply-To: davidsaloum@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 23:06:05 +0100 (GMT+01:00)
Subject: BE MY PARTNER
My Dear,
I am Mr.David Saloum Antwan contacting you today for a
business which would be of immense benefit to you.I am an attorney at
law.I have a practice in Nigeria. I am the personal attorney to Mrs.
Stella Obasanjo the first lady and wife to the president of the Federal
Republic Of Nigeria.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo died in
Spain on the 23th of October 2005 while undergoing medical treatment.
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/10/23/obasanjo.obituary
http:
//www.independentng.com/saturday/ccoct290501.htm
http://www.vanguardngr.
com/articles/2002/nationalx/nr524102005.html
I wish to invest the
sum of $135 million overseas(One huned and thirty five million US
Dollars). The beneficiary is her only son who is still very young to
handle this fund at this time,however because the president has so
many wives and the first lady been the last but rather fortunate, the
others are looking for a way to deprive this boy of what heas mother
has work for all this years,This boy needs your help.
Your fees as
fund manager shall be 25% of the investment capital and an annual 20%
of after tax returns on investment.if you are interested in this
proposal let me know so that I will give you relevant details
Best
Regards
Mr.David Saloum Antwan
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