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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- 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.
- citizenbank006@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "MR JOHNSON EDWARD" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <citizenbank006@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:30:15 -0700
Subject: COMPENSATION FOR YOU
Dear friend,
Hope this mail find you in an excellent condition of health.I'm happy to
inform you about my success in getting those funds transferred under the
co-operation of a new partner from Paraguay. Presently I'm in South Korea
for investment projects with my own share of the total sum.
Meanwhile i didn't forget you're past efforts and attempts to assist me in
transferring those funds despite that it failed us some how.Now contact my
Bank in Nigeria where i deposit the money to and there email address is
(citizenbank006@gmail.com ask the bank to send you the total $3M which
I kept for your compensation for all your past efforts and attempts to
assist me in this matter.I appreciated your efforts at that time very much
..so feel free and get intouch with my Bank and
instruct them where to send the amount to you.
Please do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share the
joy after all the sufferings at that time. I'm very busy here because of the
investment projects which me and the new partner are having at hand,finally,
remember that I had forwarded instruction to My bank on your behalf to
receive those moneys feel free to get in touch with the bank they will
send the amount to you without any delay.
BEST REGARDS
Mr.JOHSON EDWARD
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Anti-fraud resources:
