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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:
- "hundred thousand u.s 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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "here in united kingdom" (this email uses bad English)
- "foreign payment department" (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.
Fraud email example:
From: Brian C Hartzer <juttahelles@msn.com>
Reply-To: <bhartzer688@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2013 06:14:19 +0000
Subject: =?windows-1256?Q?YOUR_CO-OP?= =?windows-1256?Q?ERATION_NE?=
=?windows-1256?Q?EDED_PLEAS?= =?windows-1256?B?RSH+/v4=?=
Ref: ABY/NRI-ACCT/7878256589/04.I am Mr.Brian Hartzer. The head of computing department of Royal Bank of Scotland Branch here in United Kingdom.
There
is an account opened in this bank in 2003. Since my inception into
office on 4th Jan 2013,I found this account and trying to contact the
next of kin and couldn't locate anyone.
I
noticed that the depositor of the funds was an American who lived in
London for years without presenting anyone as next of kin to the funds. I
took the courage to look for a reliable
and honest person who will be capable of claiming the funds
$20,200,000.00 (Twenty Million Two Hundred Thousand U.S Dollars) as the
next kin. If the fund is not claimed urgently, it would be forfeited for
nothing and the RBS would divert the funds to their own account. Please
respond immediately so I will use my position to effect the legal
approval and onward transfer of the funds into your account with
appropriate clearance from foreign payment department.
You
will stand to get 50% while 50% will be for me. Kindly quote the
reference (acct) numbers above when responding to this mail. I will
furnish you with more details upon your reply.
Sincerely yours,Mr.Brian Hartzer.
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