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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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "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)
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- david.asare56@yahoo.com (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "David Asare" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <david.asare56@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:28:09 +0100
Subject: Your Assistance really needed
Dear Sir/Madam,
I know this email comes as a surprise because you do not know who I am but I want you to be reassured that I am
writing to you with good intention and utmost sincerity, I am David Asare and you may never have heard of me
because I hail from a small village in Western Africa.
My father Chief Kofa Asare was a very successful crude oil merchant and Gold before his untimely death thirteen months ago in a vehicle accident, I have been through a lot since the death because my father's family have a taken away all my inheritance, claiming it is their right to care of my inheritance according to customary law of the land and I have been badly treated beyond comprehension these past months and virtually made a beggar for what is rightfully mine.
I came across some documents concerning a consignment in Washington DC which holds the sum of Ten million us dollars and I am the next of kin and I have contacted the security company to make claims but they say I must be there personally to make the claim or get a foreign beneficiary to represent me to make the claim. I really need your help as my foreign beneficiary and I am ready to give you 30% of the total funds for any inconvenience that this may cost you.
I will be looking forward to hear from you and I will give you more details on how to proceed and I also want you to keep this to yourself because I don't want this to get to the ears of my family and you don't know who might be listening . I await your urgent response.
Thank you and God bless
David Asare
Email Address:david.asare56@yahoo.com
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