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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million 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)
- "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- joe.director76@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Rungsun Klinkaeo <rungsunklinkaeo99@msn.com>
Reply-To: <joe.director76@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2012 19:20:27 +0000
Subject: Dear Friend,
Dear Friend,
Thanks for your acceptance to hear me out.The situation in Libya is got Worst during Ghadafi Era,. I am Mr Rungsun Klinkaeo.I worked as an accountant in the Libya central bankuntil last year branch in (Misrata) Libya. And when the shelling got to an unbearable level.
I have the mandate of my colleagues to source for a good fellow, that can assist us accomodate the treasure with us; The satanic government of Ghadafi has been bombing us then including our children and helpless women and this has trigered mass exit of the Misrata residents to Mali and other countries within the Sahara; we have in our custody the sum of $21 million dollars which we were able to take from the coffers of the central bank as all the treasure has been abnadoned by Ghadafi evil forces on the arrival of the allied forces; we are in desperate need of your assistance on how to accomodate the funds into your custody either sending it through a diplomatic means to you or through your bank account.
Now that the traitor is Ghadafi is Dead, we need your assistance to secretly move the money, as no one can account or trace it in any way or form. PLEASE CONTACT ME BACK AND I WILL GIVE YOU ALL MY CORDINATES IN OUR NEW ABODE.WE ARE NOW IN MALI REPLIUBLIC BUT WE INTEND TO MOVE TOWARDS A MORE DEMOCRATIC STATE EITHER IN TOGO OR LIBERIA THE FUNDS HAS BEEN DEPOSITED IN A SAFE PLACE AND UPON THE RECIEPT OF YOUR RETURN MAIL THEN WE CAN MAKE PROPER ARRANGEMENTS TO INTEGRATE IT INTO THE BANKING SYSTEM FOR ONWARD REMMITTANCE TO YOUR CUSTODY. e-mail address (joe.director76@yahoo.co.uk)
Mr Rungsun Klinkaeo
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