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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:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "transfer of your funds" (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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
Fraud email example:
From: Mr Davis Mark <codyconverse24@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: westernunionmo@hosanna.net
Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2010 01:37:10 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: URGENT REPLY IS NEEDED
Attention Mr.
We are writing on be half of this Western Union to find out the only truth also to sympathize your wife and the entire family. Two gentle men was arrived to this Office unnoticed to this BANK just yesterday names by Patrick and Joel both bears the same surname with you.
Then Gentle men made us to believe that they are your blood brothers and they came to claim your FUND as your next of kinds. They said that you and your only son were involved in car acident recently and dead at a sport. And they said they were all wear of our transition with you and they have come to claim the FUND on your behalf. And they presented every information about you which shows they know you very well.
They told us the contents of your FUND IS MONEY and the amount involve which is accurate when we take the FUND to scanner machine. Now they want us to reschedule the payment through bank to bank wire transfer into a family bank account which they provided. We told them that you have Ownership certificate to obtain in the hands of Federal Ministry of Justice . And they made us to understand they are right here ready to clear every charges it may cost to claim the funds today. Now this OFFICE has made every necessary arrangement with your brothers for the transfer of your funds into their account.
Now, I’m some how still confused, and then I tried to convince them not to pay the money today so that I will write to you for final confirmation of your death. I told them to give me 24hours to and come back, if we don’t' hear from you. We will gladly hand them over your funds.
Well sorry if this is truth. May your gentle soul rest in perfect peace. In Jesus name. Amen. But if not get right back to us because my mind is home how disturbed +229-9846-5813,
My regards
Mr Davis Mark
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