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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:
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +447035915139 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
- 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.
- barr.zimermman1951@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Barr. Daniel Zimermman" <lawyer@mail.com>
Reply-To: barr.zimermman1951@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2013 03:27:25 -1200
Subject: VALUABLE INFO 24TH APRIL
Good Day,
I am Barr. Daniel Zimermman,principal attorney to the late Mr. Robert, who
died
in a car crash in London with his immediate family members (wife and only
daughter)on November 5th 2004.He left behind a deposit of £5.8million GBP.
We were recently contacted by the financial institution where our late client
left his property and funds ...to contact his kit and kin to notify them of
his
dormant account with the institution. To this end, We have made several
requisitions in the relevant quarters seeking to find any of his possible
extended relatives who would be presented as beneficiaries to his estate to
no
avail; thus necessitating our reaching you upon finding that you bear the
same
last name and more so, because we have in the exclusive possession i.e we
have
documents that would confer on you the legal rights for the claim.Send me
your
phone number so we can discuss further on this transaction. Reply to my
private
email below if interested to enable me furnish with more details.
Regards,
Barr. Daniel Zimermman
barr.zimermman1951@yahoo.com.hk
+44-703-591-5139
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