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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 united state 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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Dr. Lee Davis" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <leedavis@financier.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2011 00:15:40 -0600
Subject: RE-OUTSTANDING PAYMENT
RE-OUTSTANDING PAYMENT
Dear Customer,
This is to inform you of your long overdue Payment outstanding in our Banking records. Your name is in the Central System amongst the list of unpaid inheritance claims individuals. Your information has to be updated and we are contacting you for immediate confirmation of the sum. Your name appeared among the beneficiaries who should receive a part-payment of US$40.000,000.00 (Forty million United State dollars) and your payment have been approved months ago.
However we received an email from one Mr. Kennedy Franklin who told us that he is your next of kin and that you died in a car accident last 2 months ago. He has also submitted his account information to the transfer department for transfer of this fund to him as your next of Kin. We are verifying by contacting you by your email address following the record we have in our Bank before we can make the transfer into his account and for us to conclude confirmation if you are dead or not.
Your urgent response is needed before the outstanding payment against your name as listed out is released.
Yours Sincerely,
Dr. Lee Davis
International Transfer Department.
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Anti-fraud resources:
