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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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.
- 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.
- mrs_gbagbo@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Simone Gbagbo" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrssimone04@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:32:56 +0200
Subject: Hello Sir?
Hello Sir,
Sorry for contacting you like this.
I am Mrs. Simone Gbagbo, the wife of former President Laurent Gbagbo the
Ivory Coast ruler.
If you watch closely in the News you will see the political problem we have
regarding who won the recent election.
We are receive a lot of pressure to step down for my husband opponent but my
husband refuse after all my advice, because women have no power to men in Africa
and at last he was caught and remove like you have seen on the news.
After the approval of the EU sanctions and ban on my family and few supporters
of my husband on traveling to any EU country or America,
I manage to transfer my kids and out to Morocco now and i need your assistance
to relocate them to your country as soon as possible.
I will transfer the sum of $5 Million Dollars and five 9kilos of row Gold
under your care as soon as you are meet my kids in Morocco to help my them set
up any profitable investment project in your country immediately they arrive in your country with you.
I have decided to offer you 5% of the total amount if you can make it to
Morocco as soon as possible.
Please Contact me in this private email address to discuss more if you are
interested and send me your telephone number and private email address for
easy communication.
My Private email is: mrs_gbagbo@yahoo.com
Looking forward to hear from you soon as soon as possible.
Regards.
Mrs. Gbagbo.
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Anti-fraud resources:
