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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:
- ",500,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "persiev012@qatar.io" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Danny Van Persie." <persiev012@aol.com>
Reply-To: persiev012@qatar.io
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:54:43 +0200
Subject: GOOD DAY!!!
GOOD DAY!!!
My name is Danny Van Persie; I work with the Finance Monetary Unit here in the Netherlands.
I found your address through my countries international Web directory.
During our last annual inspections of all various bank accounts here in the Netherlands,
My department found a dormant account with an enormous sum of US$ 6,500,000.00
(Six Million Five Hundred Thousand US Dollar) which was deposited by one late Mr. Williams.
>From My investigation he had no beneficiary or next of kin to claim these funds.
I will need us to work together if you are interested and I assure you that I will
provide all useful informations and documentation that can enable us transfer this
funds into your bank account legally without any problem.
Kindly write me directly with your contacts on my private email: persiev012@qatar.io
Best Regards,
Danny Van Persie.
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Anti-fraud resources:
