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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)
- "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- lukasmukemva@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Lukas Mukemva" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <emonicsapaaz@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2012 07:08:27 -0700
Subject: MY PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU....
PERSONAL PROPOSITION
I am delighted to introduce you to this proposition. Although this is
certainly not a preferable way of approach to foster a relationship of trust
but because of the circumstances and urgency surrounding this claim l
decided to reach you via this media. I urge you to treat this with utmost
Confidentiality.
I am a member of staff of the National Petroleum Agency (NPA) of Sao
Tome and Principe. From my department I realized that there is foreigner
who was allocated a license for crude sales in my country for four and a
half years. After about four years of running the crude sales license she
passed on with a misterious illness.
Now from our record in the NPA it has been confirmed that the Ministry of
Petroleum and |Natural Resources confirmed a payment of about $14.3
Million United States Dollars as pay-out commission for the crude Sales
for the period of sales.
Unfortunately, she or her next of kin is not alive to receive this pay-out
commission and all effort to contact any of her relations has proved
unsuccessful by my office. I decided to reach you, to present you as the
beneficiary to receive this commission balance.
Once I can present you as the beneficiary of the company, we shall earn
the commission and it will be shared between us in the ratio of 50:50.
I await your quick response as time is of essence.
Lukas Mukemva
lukasmukemva@yahoo.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
