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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:
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million american 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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "soro.blessing@ymail.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Blessing Soro <blessingsoro@cantv.net>
Reply-To: soro.blessing@ymail.com
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:13:18 +0200
Subject: Re:reply
From Miss Blessing Soro
Ivory Coast West
Africa
Email:soro.blessing@ymail.com
Hello Dear,
I am Blessing Soro from
Ivory Coast and I am contacting you because I need your help in the
management of a sum of money that my dead father left for me before he
died.This money is in USD7.2 million American Dollars and the money is in a
bank here in Abidjan the capital city of Ivory Coast, West Africa.My father
was a very rich oil merchant and he was poisoned by his business colleagues
and now I want you to stand as my guardian and appointed beneficiary to
receive the money in your country for investment since I am only 22 years
and without mother or father.Please I will like you to reply to this email
with this information's.1.Age(2)Residential address(3)occupation(4)private
telephone and your photograph so that I will give you all the information's
that you will need to get this money transferred to your account and you
will help me get papers to travel to your country to continue my
education.
I am waiting for your urgent reply.
Thanks.
Miss Blessing
Soro
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