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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:
- "demurrage " (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. )
- "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)
- This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Aanisah Juman" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <judipleasereadthismail@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 27 May 2012 18:28:35 -0400
Subject: RE: IT IS VERY URGENT. THANKS.
Withdue Respect And Humility. I am Mrs. Aanisah Judi Alim from United Kingdon I am 59 years old, I am suffering from a long time cancer of the breast, from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that I can't work or do any stressful thing, according to doctors they have advised me that I may not live for the next one month, this is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage. I married to my late husband for twenty years without a child. Since after his death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the sum of $4.4Million dollars with a With a security company. Presently, this money is still with the security company and the management just wrote me as the true owner to come forward to receive the money for keeping it so long with attract a demurrage charge or rather issue a letter of authorization to trusted somebody to receive it on my behalf since I cannot come over because of my ill!
ness or they get it confisticated.
can forward it to the bank in other to start processing and release the fund to you without any delay. Judi
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Anti-fraud resources:
