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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.
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Tai Xing" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <taixing_1@yahoo.cn>
Date: Fri, 21 May 2010 01:10:07 +0800
Subject: Hello
I contacted you because I need your assistance regarding an investment. Firstly, I will require your assistance in moving the funds to you due to my present position and the manner in which we are going to use in obtaining the funds. Below is more information covering this transaction that I need you to study and get back to me.
The data information of this transaction is given for your understanding of the Fund deposited by the former director of food and drugs, that I assisted in opening a corporate account with my bank in 2005 Mr. Zheng Xiaoyu.
The money was placed in my bank as a company investment fund. None of his relatives and even the Government officials knew about the existence of the fund in his name because the details of the account does not compromise his direct information rather company details. That is why nobody will trace the funds at all.
You can go ahead to view the web link covering the death of Mr. Zheng Xiaoyu…
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-07/10/content_5424937.htm
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/10/health/main3037495.shtml
Please view the web link as soon as possible in order for me to send you another email informing you what would be required of us to begin the process of transferring the funds to you from my bank. Have a pleasant day as I await to hear from you as soon as you get this email.
Regards,
Tai
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Anti-fraud resources:
