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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)
- "any lucrative business in your country" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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.
- 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.
- hollenbrigitte1968@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
- my private email i can access in this hospital (hollenbrigitte1968@hotmail.com )(ronbinsonbrigitte.h1968@yahoo.com) copy it and reply (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs.Brigitte Hollen Robinson" <brigitte.rhollen1968@gmail.com>
Reply-To: hollenbrigitte1968@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2012 04:04:09 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Charity Donation Notification For you
Charity Donation Notification For youintensive Care Unit Hopital de Port Bouet. Abidjan Abidjan 01. Cote d'Ivoire.Dear Friend,I am Mrs.Brigitte Hollen Robinson a cancer patient and an American Citizen married to late Dr Patrick Robinson who was a very successful businessman and expatriate. I am donating the sum of $5million to you for humanitarian project in your country, i decided to do this donation after listening to an old woman donate her fortune to charity on youtubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v =O8o-e-iLsUM ... I want you to use it and help the underprivileged, widows and also invest in real estate or any lucrative business in your country which its profit can also help the less privilege and widows since i cannot do it myself due to my cancer problem, my doctors have revealed that i will not last long. I hope you accept my kind gesture. I wait your reply for details.
NB: Please write me at my private email i can access in this hospital (hollenbrigitte1968@hotmail.com )(ronbinsonbrigitte.h1968@yahoo.com) copy it and reply me there.
Mrs. Birgitte H.Robinson.
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Anti-fraud resources:
