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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:
- "million pounds" (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 next of kin scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
Fraud email example:
From: "Barrister Matthew Stuggart" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <matstuggartesq@foxmail.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 08:43:05 +0100
Subject: Confidential Inheritance Information
I am Matthew Stuggart ESQ, a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney/sole executor to my deceased client who had Left behind a large deposit of 5.5million pounds in a bank here in the United Kingdom.
The Financial institution contacted me as his attorney to provide his next of kin who should inherit his fortune, So I decided to contact you with this proposal. I got your email account while searching for a business oreinted relative of my late client in my private study on the internet. I only pray at this time that your email address is still valid. Send me your telephone or any other means of communication to enable us discuss further on this transaction, You can also reply me on my private email so I can give you more details about this inheritance
Hope to hear from you soon
Regards.
Matthew Stuggart ESQ
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Anti-fraud resources:
