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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:
- "transfer into your account" (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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- This email message is a orphan scam.
Fraud email example:
From: lindakone <lindakone5@rediffmail.com>
Reply-To: lindakone5@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2013 02:40:47 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: From Miss Linda Kone Very Urgent
Hello Dear,
I hope this correspondence meets you in good health as it is my pleasure after going through your profile to write you trusting God that this well timed contact will bring us into one family. I am Ms. Linda Kone 21yrs and my junior brother George 17yrs of late Mr/Mrs.Makatulu Kone.
My father was a Cocoa merchant before his untimely death; He was poisoned by his business associates. My mother died when I was a little girl .Before the death of my father he informed me that he kept the sum of Three Million, Eight Hundred United State Dollars (US$3.8 Million) in a Fiduciary Fund Holder.
He also explained to me that it was because of this wealth that made his business associates to poison him. He asked me to seek for a foreign partner or God fearing person outside our country where we will transfer the money and invest it wisely and also see that we complete our education.
I am soliciting for your kind assistance as foreign guardian in releasing of this fund from the Fiduciary Holder Company and have it transfer into your account for investment. And you help us come to your country immediately as my late father advised me.
I wait for your quick response.
God bless you
Yours Linda Kone
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Anti-fraud resources:
