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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:
- "application fee" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "A.S Shopper Recruiters®" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <as.shopper.recruiters@admin.in.th>
Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:24:08 -0800
Subject: ****VACANT POST AS A SECRET SHOPPER****
Need extra INCOME!
Become our [ MYSTERY SHOPPER]:
Earn [ NO LESS THAN $200.00 ] Per Week:
It is Very Easy and Very Simple:
No Application fees:
VACANT POST AS A SECRET SHOPPER
Get $200 Cash For Free To Be a Mystery or Secret Shopper In Your Home Area! We need you to shop at the store we locate for you in your area and report back to our sponsor your shopping experience via email,if you are interested Kindly provide the below information.
*Full Name :
*Address :
*City :
*State :
*Zip Code:
*Phone # :
*Age :
*Occupation:
*E-Mail :
We await your swift response & We look forward in working with you
Reply to : as.shopper.recruiters@admin.in.th
Regards,
Paul Walter.
Regional Instructor.
Anonymous Secret Shopper Recruiters®.
24 Hours Everyday By Email.
**********************************************************************************************
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Anti-fraud resources:
