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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:
- "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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Gerit Marie" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <gerit.marie@accountant.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2011 02:24:00 +0100
Subject: PRIVATE.
My name is Gerrit Marie formerly working with the ING Bank Netherlands
Branch, presently am working with the SNS Bank.
I have a proposal to discuss with you about a certain abandoned bonded
bank account in our Bank. The bonded Account has a balance of 17.3Million
Dollars.
The owner of the above said bank account had died since 4 years now
and our bank could not locate any member of the deceased family till
date. Our bank is in the process of declaring the money "Unclaimed
Fund, and would turn it over to the Dutch Government in the next coming
Banking Year,if we can not locate any family member of the Account Owner.
I do not want this to happen when I have serious financial needs,
and I am in a position to push out the fund from our bank without any
problem provided I can present a claimant that was named as the next of
Kin or relative of the original account owner.
It will be beneficial to all parties concerned if you agree to present
yourself as the relative of the account owner since all the details of
innitial cash deposit will portray you as the next of kin or relative
of the Bonded Account Owner.
Consider this proposal as a privilege and let me know how much of the
money you would like to take after paying it to you as the Inheritor
of the abandoned fund.
If you would like to collaborate with me, then send me your
(1)Your Full Names................
(2)Your Home Address ....................
(3)Your Telephone Number ......................
to enable me to formally present you to our Bank's Management as the
Next-of-Kin and legal Beneficiary of the above abandoned fund
Yours truly
Gerit Marie
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Anti-fraud resources:
