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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:
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- gledhill.alexander@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: army general <armygeneral123@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2013 07:46:36 -0800
Subject: very urgent plz.
DEAR SIR,
WILL YOU BE THERE MR.JAMES WEST FROM AMERICA ( FLORIDA STATE) CAME TO
CLAIM YOUR CONTRACT FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA,HE
CAME WITH THE POWER OF ATTORNEY WHICH YOU GAVE HIM TO MAKE THE CLAIM
HENCE IN THE POWER OF ATTORNEY YOU STATED HE IS YOUR PARTNER AND HE
FINANCED THE CONTRACT IN NIGERIA AND IF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
VERIFICATION COMMITTEE FOR CONTRACTS PAYMENT IN NIGERIA DID NOT HEAR
FROM YOU UNDER 48 HOURS FROM THIS DATE 13/12/2013 HE WILL MAKE THE
TRANSFER TO HIS BANK ACCOUNT IN USA THEREFORE CONTACT HIM VIA EMAIL
ADDRESS : gledhill.alexander@yahoo.co.uk
CONTACT NAME :Chief Gledhill Alexander
Lt.General David Moses.
NB: You are required to contact Mr.Gledhill Alexander via his email
address stated above but most importantly call him also through his
cellular phone number +2348033844816 very urgent/imperative.
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Anti-fraud resources:
