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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:
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "MR DANIEL KWASI" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrdanielkwasi1@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 18:32:29 +0100
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE NEEDED?
The regional manager
Barclays bank of Ghana
Cape coast branch.
My good friend
I am Mr. Daniel Kwasi, a banker in Accra Ghana cape coast branch in the central region of Ghana.
I contacted you now on a business deal of eight million five hundred and forty Thousand united state dollars ($8.540USD) which I need your assistant to transfer the Said fund in your bank account in your country.
This fund in question is the fund that I discover on the course
Of the last year 2009 business financial report and i have packaged it in what we call escrow call account with no beneficiary, the money will be shared between us, at the ratio of 65/35, Please accept my percentage and also fill free and work with me on trust there is no risk involved it is 100% legal.
If you are interested reply to me I will give you the procedural or formula on how to transfer the fund in to your bank account.
Your urgent reply will be highly appreciated.
Sincere yours
Mr. Daniel Kwasi.
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Anti-fraud resources:
