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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)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
Fraud email example:
From: SARAH AHMED <sarah.ahmed7@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: sarah_ahmed3350@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2010 20:36:46 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: ATTENTION PLS
VERY SERIOUS ISSUE
Dearest Beloved Friend ,
Way' laikum salaam my dear, I am Mrs. sarah adams Ahmed from Kuwait. I am married to Mr. Adams Ahmed who was a contractor with the government of Cote D'Ivoire for nine years before he died on December 2,2007 of a massive heart attack in his sleep and we were married for eleven years without a child. When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of $8.700 Million US dollars in a Bank in Cote D lvoire and all this years of bitter expirence of passing away of my husband with out even a child i still battling of a blood cancer {leukemia}..
But the one that disturbs me most now is this...Recently, my doctor informed me that i would not stay alive for the next eight months due to my cancer problem and Presently, this money is still there in bank having known my condition...So i decided to donate this fund to a charity organization that will utilize this money the way i am going to instruct herein since i do not have a child to inherit it and it better i do not die leaving the money here and my husband relatives are good and i don't want my husband's efforts to be used by them. I don't want a situation where this money will be used in an ungodly way without it reaching the poor and the lessprivilaged ones in the society.
Pls I don't need any telephone communication in this regard because of my health and the presence of my husband's relatives there around me always. I don't want them to know about this development. As soon as i receive your reply i shall give you the contact of the bank in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire west Africa.I will also issue you an authority letter that will prove you the present beneficiary of this fund from the Ministry of Justice here in Cote d'Ivoire.Please assure me that you will act accordingly as i stated herein. Hoping to receive your reply soon.
Remain blessed .
Your sister,
Mrs sarah adams Ahmed
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