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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.
- This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
- 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.
- koffi_ugwuama@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "brownmr.tony" <brownmr.tony@rocketmail.com>
Reply-To: koffi_ugwuama@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 04:25:55 -0400
Subject: Hello My Good Friend,
Hello My Good Friend,
I'm happy to inform you about my success in getting those funds
transferred under the cooperation of a new partner from brazil .
Presently i'm in brazil for investment projects with my own share of the
total sum. Meanwhile,i didn't forget your past efforts and attempts to
assist me in transferring those funds despite that it failed us some how.
Now contact my Account officer in Benin Republic his name is
Mr. Koffi Ugwuama
Email: koffi_ugwuama@hotmail.com
Ask him to send you the total of $1.2 Million USD which i kept for you as
a compensation for all the past efforts and attempts to assist me in this
matter. I appreciated your efforts at that time very much.
So feel free and get in touched with my secretary Mr. Koffi Ugwuama and
instruct him where to send the money to you.
You are to forward to him the following:
1. YOUR FULL! NAME & ADDRESS
2. YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER..
Please do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share the
joy after all we have sufferred at that time.
At the moment, I am very busy here because of the investment projects
program which the new partner and i are having at hand.
Finally, remember that I had forwarded instruction to my secretary on
your behalf to receive that money, So feel free and get in touch with Mr.
Koffi Ugwuama he will send the amount to you without any delay.
Yours Faithfully.
Mr. Tony Brown
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Anti-fraud resources:
