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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:
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- anitayap40@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: David Wood <davidwood67@ymail.com>
Reply-To: David Wood <anitayap40@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2011 03:23:50 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: Thanks for your effort
Dearest Friend.
I'm happy to inform you about my success in getting those funds transferred under the cooperation of a new partner from India. Presently I'm in India 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.
Contact my secretary in Malaysia with her email address anitayap40@hotmail.com because I have left the whole instruction to her on your behalf and instruct her where to send the $650,000.00 with out any further delay for your compensation.
NOTE FELLOW IS THE REQUIRED INFORMATION YOU WILL SEND TO MY
SECRETARY :-
1.YOUR FULL NAME:
2.YOUR COUNTRY:
3.YOUR HOME ADDRESS:
4.YOUR CURRENT HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER:
5.YOUR CURRENT OFFICE
6.YOUR AGE
7.A COPY OF YOUR PICTURE
At this moment, I am very busy here in India because of the investment projects, which the new partner and I are having at hand.
Yours Faithfully
Barrister David Wood
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Anti-fraud resources:
