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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:
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- ",500,000" (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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "HANNANEH" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ghohestani@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2012 03:08:54 +0800
Subject: F.Y.I
I am 20years old female from Iran named Hannaneh Ghohestani.I am sending you
this email because i got your contact from my fathers diary he used to keep and carry along in his
many travels.I am the daughter of Late Ghohestani who died with my mother and only brother Hassan in the
plane crash in Marshad on 9th Jan 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-kc1RyGU0U
My father worked as a retired Nuclear scientist and has worked in Iran and
many countries all over the world and i believed he may have met you during one of his travels.When
there was several murder of Nuclear scientist in Iran,he wanted us to move to another country probably a
muslim country and was making arrangement for our trip and relocation to a foreign country and me
and my brother Hassan was issued international passport on 15th July 2010 in preparation for our
relocation and my father also made a deposit in a bank in that country amounting to $24,500,000USD(Twenty Four
Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) for the settling in that country.
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: The most generous is he who fulfills that which Allah (SWT) has
deemed obligatory upon him.That is why i have to contact you to help me stand as next of kin to claim this
funds.I cannot do it myself because of the restriction in Iran and single lady.I emailed the lawyer who is in
charge and he ttold me i can suggest someone i trust.
I will give you more information as soon as i get your response.
Truely
Hannaneh Ghohestani
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Anti-fraud resources:
