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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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- amodojani@rediffmail.com (Rediffmail, India; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Tijani Amodo <mmmaakaa@att.net>
Reply-To: amodotj@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2011 07:14:01 -0800 (PST)
Subject: vwyzc
Ministry of Works & Housing. Mr Al Hussain executed a contract with the Federal Ministry of Works & Housing (FMWH) here, the contract is worth (US$22.750M) but on the process of transferring the money to him, he died with his family in natural disaster that occurred in his country some time ago.
His money has been approved for payment in my office and is waiting for me to give order for the final endorsement of the release of his money.The deal is a risk free and legitimate.
All his information will be made available to if you cooperate. You will act as the beneficiary of this fund, since we have been unsuccessful inall our efforts to locate his relatives.
I will send to you the whole relevant information that is required of you to know in this transaction immediately you accept to co-operate with me.
Furnish me the following:
1. Your private's phone and fax.
2. Your residential address
3. Your occupation and age
4. Copy of your scanned international passport /drivers license.
I am Waiting for your urgent reply. Please as a sure sign of consent do also send a copy of your response to amodojani@rediffmail.com .
Yours truly,
Tijani Amodu
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Anti-fraud resources:
