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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:
- "million 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)
- "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- david.baloyi@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "david.baloy" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <david.baloyi11@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:26:05 +0100
Subject: THANK YOU
Good Day,
It’s my pleasure to contact you over this transaction and I hope for your assistance on this matter. I discovered a dormant account in my office as a group director with a bank here in south africa; presently the account is dormant and there is no claim since Nine years from now, and the rightful owner Engr. Christian Eich, who ran carmaker BMW's museum died in a plan accident with his entire family as shown on the link below. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
It will be of my interest to transfer this money worth Twenty Four Million United States Dollars in an account offshore. If you can assist me in getting this money transferred out of South Africa then invest with it and also establish partnership. Email me on : david.baloyi@hotmail.com or call me on Tel:+27 78 367 6108 if you think you can handle such amount and kindly remember that this is very confidential.
I wait to hear from you.
Regards
David Baloyi.
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Anti-fraud resources:
