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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:
- "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)
- "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- danego1977@post.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Mr Dan Egozo <officials@comic.com>
Reply-To: danego1977@post.com
Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2010 05:27:32 +0000 (GMT)
Subject:
Hello, my good friend
I am Mr Dan Egozo, the Senior Auditor General of BANK OF AFRICA in Burkina faso. During the course of our auditing, i discovered a dormant fund in an account opened in the bank. After going through some old files in the records i discovered that the owner of the account has died. The matter is that there is no next of kin attached to this fund because the owner deposited this fund for investment purpose before his sudden death. For more information please view (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/859479.stm) Therefore, it's a preference for us to claim this money without any problem since i works in the bank and i have all the necessary documents that might be needed for this transaction. I am revealing this to you with believe in God/Allah that you will never let me down in this business. I need strong assurance that you will never let me down in this business proposition. It's my urgent need for a foreign partner that made me to contact you for this
business which involves transfer of huge sum of money to a foreign account. I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of ($11.5 million USD) into your account.
I need your partnership because i cannot claim this money without a foreign partner since the deceased client Mr Kurt Kahle (the owner of the fund) was a foreigner from Germany. This fund ($11.5 million USD) will be shared between us in the ratio of 60/40. I agreed that 40% of this fund will be for you as a respect to the provision of a foriegn account while 60% will be for me and I want to assure you that this transaction is absolutely legal and risk free. Before we proceed, i would like to know your ability to handle this transaction over there in your country. Please tell me more about the political stability/economic stability of your country. Are you capable to receive this fund in your country???
Kindly update me with the following information because i will want to know you more before we proceed on this transaction. Hope you understand???
1. YOUR FULL NAME?.........
2. YOUR AGE?..... SEX?..........
3. YOUR OCCUPATION? ...............
4. YOUR HOME AND OFFICE ADDRESS?.............
5. YOUR COUNTRY?............. NATIONALITY?.........
6. YOUR CONTACT PHONE NUMBER?................
More details of this transaction will be given to you as soon as i received the requested information from you as I will be waiting for your urgent response to my private E-mail: danego1977@post.com
Sincerely,
Mr Dan Egozo
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