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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:
- "consignment " (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 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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- judittomas@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "TONY" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <judittomas@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:15:29 +0100
Subject: GOOD DAY. ATTENTION
ATTENTION; GOOD DAY
I am Judith Tony a consignment Manager with Finance & Securities Company here in Spain.
I was directed to inquire if you can handle this transaction on behalf of my boss Dr. Ramon Tomas
the main reason for contacting you is to invite you to partner with us in the
Transfer of 8.8 million US Dollars left in our security finance Firm by our
late deceased foreign customer since January 2003.
We need to present someone as the beneficiary or next of kin to the deceased to
Claim this fund, since every effort to locate any member of his family has
proved no success.
The fund is currently lying in our custody awaiting claim. We will give you
More details and all the necessary documents that you will need to stand as the
Next of kin we will go with you to make sure that everything goes successful;
We have all the documents, waiting for your affirmative response. We shall
Share the money 50%-50% not that we can’t find someone here in Spain we can just that we want to do it whit an international person because the man is not from Spain that’s why we need you so fear free
looking forward to hearing from you.
Please if we can do this send me
Your Full Name
Direct Telephone/Fax Number
Residential Address
Job Description
Please contact me with this email: judittomas@gmail.com
or talk to my boss he will tell you
What to do +34 672 978 828
Mr. Ramón Tomas
Yours Faithfully
Judith Tony
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Anti-fraud resources:
