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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)
- "a security company " (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. )
- "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)
- "million 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)
- "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr.Solomon Adams" <web.infor_web@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: solomon_adams@hotmail.com
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2010 04:10:28 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: My Dear Beneficiary Get Back To Me
Attn:Dear Friend
My name is Solomon Adams and a close associate of President Charles Taylor of Liberia who was in exile in a state called calabar in Federal Rep of Nigeria. He invited me to Calabar state to handle some of his funds and gold which he deposited in custody of a security company including cash money in a reputable bank which i am the manager. We were with some of his funds he kept for his local expenditures in Calabar. The amount he kept in a bank custody was fifty five million us dollars which he took twenty million on the course of his trying to escape through Cameroon border when he was ordered to be arrested; he was captured by some officials in the Cameroon border.
Our agreement was that as soon as he arrive Cameroon he will get in touch with me to get his balance that was in my custody, His Gold is now in a security and finance company so I am contacting you to assist me get this out from where its lodged and I will offer you the sum of five million dollars and introduce you in more profitable business awareness i acquired from Charles Taylor.If you accept my proposal I will require your mobile telephone number to talk with you on the dimensions that is holding the deposit and please don’t discuss this with anybody because his friend is in every look and corners in search of me . I might decide to travel with you to where the deposit of Gold and diamond is. Please i need someone I can trust and i did not escape with this money because i am not greedy but because the Nigeria Government President Obasanjo was confiscating all Taylor’s belongings in Nigeria both his gold and diamonds worth millions of Dollars. I
will be able to tell you where I am presently where the deposits of the money, gold and diamonds are.
Please this must be treated with utmost secrecy.
You can send your response to this email and your mobile number so that i can contact you
Regards And God Bless You
Thanks
Mr. Solomon Adams.
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