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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:
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Hussien Ahmed" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ahmd0124@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 2010 00:07:23 +0800
Subject: Treat Very Urgently
Hello,
Please do not be offended that I contacted you through this medium. I want you to please take your time to read down my mail. I want to initiate you in a business transaction I believe will be of a great mutual benefits to the both of us. Hence you pledge your utmost humility, confidentiality and sincerity.
My name is Mr.Hussien Ahmed. I am an attorney. I am 60years old. I am requesting for your confidential assistance to claim on behalf of my late client the sum of money ($4,800,000.00usd) he deposited with a security and finance firm since 2004. The company has issued me a note to present the next of kin to this safe deposit.
I gave it a thought that this is a life time opportunity for me to make a big fortune having worked for so many years without been able to make this kind of fortune. Considering the global economic crunch in the world today. I personally carried out a deep search regarding his family members without anyone knowing my intentions.
After my deep search. I discovered that all the family members died in a natural disaster leaving no one to lay claim to this money. Having issued a note from the security and finance firm to present the next of kin to this safe deposit. I decided to look for a trustworthy that can keep this transaction very confidential to present to the security and finance firm to put a claim to this safe deposit.
My reason of contacting you is to seek for your consent to present you as the next of kin to this safe deposit and of the fact that you came from the same country with my late client and share the same last name with him so that the proceed of this deposit will be done in your name. I PROMISE AND GUARANTEE you that this transaction is 100%safe and hitch free for you and I hence all we are going to do will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.
Upon the receipt of this money is in your possessions. I will fly down to your country to meet with you for the sharing of the money on an agreed percentage
The sharing ratio will be 40% of the total sum for you, 50% for me. While 10% will be mapped out for any expenses we made both incur in securing the legal documents to back up claims and transferring of the money to any of your designated bank account.
Do let me know your willingness to pursue and execute this transaction with me.
Regards,
Mr.Hussien Ahmed.
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