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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:
- "abidjan" (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.
Fraud email example:
From: Hajia Yara Ammar <hajiayaraammar@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: yarakaramammar@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 07:54:34 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: From Hajia Yara Ammar ''URGENT''.
From Hajia Yara Ammar
Riviera 3,
Abidjan, RCI.
I greet you in the name of Allah. I am Hajia Yara karam Ammar from Latakia in Syria. I manage to escape from Syria with help of UN Observers last 3 months and now a refugee and my late family have safe deposits here.
My reason for contacting you and I need your involvement was that I want you to protect my deposit of 3.6 Million USD Dollars lodged in Abidjan, I need you to stand for me as my late husband business partner in overseas to claim the fund on my behalf so that I will be able to take care of my son educational needs since I don't have any family to call my own and receive the transfer in your country and you invest for us in housing and building a big hotel and pizza restaurant in your country.
Assad government kill my husband and all my family, my father and mother there in Syria.
My late husband was the opposition leader to Assad government and a medical doctor before his death in Amman.
Can you take the money quietly from here to your country for me?
I will offer you how much? please if you agree to assist me.
I want your confidence in this. Write me please quickly.
I am in the government refugee camp with my only son.
The money is 3.6 Million USD and it is in a private commercial bank in this country. We beg you to keep this secret for us and trust in Allah to hear from you quick. Send me your conditions and your address and telephone number. I wait your email.
May Allah bless you, Thank you.
Yours truly
Hajia Yara karam Ammar.
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Anti-fraud resources:
