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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)
- "million us 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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- 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.
- ghanemaisha@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Ghanem" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ghanemaisha147@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2013 03:13:40 +0800
Subject: Hello
Dear Friend ,
My name is Ms Aisha Ghanem ,I am from Libya.I got your contact from a Web Page Directory on Investment and resettlement program. It is my greatest pleasure to contact you for a business venture which i intend to establish in your country,though we have not met before but i do believe in taking risk and confiding in someone to succeed in Life.
There is these money eight million us dollars (8,000,000 usd) which was deposited by my late father Mr. Shukri Ghanem and was kept in a Finance storage house here in Malaysia before he died for a political reason in exile as you can view through the BBC news http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2137148/Dead-body-Shukri-Ghanem-river-Danube.html ]. I have decided to invest these money in your country because of your countries financial security and economic advancement which is the dream of every investor and business man.
Am looking for a serious minded person whom i can discuses with to be my partner and handle all the investment process and i would want you to get back to me about the areas you think is
more profitable as i intend investing in the fallowing.
(1)Real estate
(2)Animal Farming
(3)Palm Oil Plantation
(4)Orphanage Home.
I would appreciate your urgent respond to my private e-mail :
ghanemaisha@gmail.com.
Best Regard ,
Aisha Ghanem.
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Anti-fraud resources:
