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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:
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- "lome togo" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: isalah mawu elom <barr.robertmawuli04@gmail.com>
Reply-To: isalah.mawu.elom@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 2013 10:28:25 +0000
Subject: YOUR MAIL
I am Barr Isalah Mawu ELOM. From Lome Togo West Africa. Formally I
represented a client Engineer ,who is from your country and who died
with all his family members .Please get back to me through my private
email for more information’s ,Please this is very urgent, it concerns
his balance with his bank. His account is valued US$9.5m ( nine
Million five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars )and has been
dormant for the past years now. I will like you to send the following
information’s to me so that I will give you further information
regarding the release of these funds to you as his next of kin. My
late client bears the same last name with you and also comes from your
country. Send to me:
1. Your full legal names
2. Your current contact address
3. Your phone and fax number
4. Copy of your identification
5.Private email for more informations
Yours, Sincerely,
Isalah Mawu ELOM(Esq.
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Anti-fraud resources:
