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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Karim Ahmed <karimahmed1@zipmail.com.br>
Reply-To: karimahmed4@zipmail.com.br
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2010 15:13:18 +0530 (IST)
Subject: Confidential and Urgent!
>From Mr. Karim Ahmed
Director Audit and Account
African Development Bank
Ouagadougou Burkina Faso
(00226) 76 38 37 37
Dear Friend,
My name is Mr. Karim Ahmed, am working with African development bank (A.D.B) Ouagadougou Burkina Faso as the director of Auditing and account Department. I have the opportunity to transfer the sum of twenty five two hundred thousand united state dollars ($25.2m). To your account if you can assist me. I want you to stand as the next of kin to claim the said fund because, the depositor dies along with his entire family left nobody to claim the fund.
I kindly request your urgent assistance to assist me received this fund into your account for both of us t share. I will send you the full details on how the business will be executed and also note that you will have 50% of the above sum as your own share while 50% will be for me, Please keep this proposal as a top secret and delete if you are not interested,
I expect you're urgent response and call me for more information on your agreement to handle this project with me.
Thanks
Mr.Karim Ahmed
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Anti-fraud resources:
