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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "transaction is risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- 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.
- wolfgang@mail2jon.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: WOLFGANG JON <wolfgang_jon@yahoo.de>
Date:
Subject: NEED AN INVESTMENT MANAGER.
Sir,
How are you?I am Wolfgang Jon,Operation Manager attached to a Security&Finance Company in Germany.A well known person with the European Union Deposited the sum of 150 Million Euro with my Company for Safe Keeping but unfortunately he died just few days ago in his home town in Belgium.
I am the one who signed as his next of kin because he Deposited the Money just for few months.This Transaction is risk free because I am going to use my Authority as the Operation Manager to Divert the Money to wherever and whoever I want.
I need your assistance to take Delivery of this Money and Invest into a Profitable Business pending the time I will resign from my Company.Yours will be 20% while mine will be the rest.
Awaiting your urgent reply.You can as well reach me via wolfgang@mail2jon.com
Regard,
Wolfgang Jon.
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Anti-fraud resources:
