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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 pounds" (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 next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr Martins" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <rev.martins@ravemail.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2011 01:47:16 +0530
Subject: HELLO,
Dear
I am Mr Martins formally a staff in Trust bank pl c presently at Nat-west,
there is a customer named Mr Robert M Maillet,whom had fatal air crash,
left (£5.8 million Pounds) with Trust bank, Hence I seek your consent
to present you as the Next of Kin or Beneficiary of the said funds
Click link for more details
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9809/swissair.victims.list/index.html
Contact me on this to enable us effect the transaction
Full Name
Mobile
Hope to receive your reply to enable us proceed please.
Rev c .Matins
Tell'+448712340418
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Anti-fraud resources:
