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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:
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- sothorndara@financier.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. SOTHORN DARA" <joerobertsonjoe@aol.com>
Reply-To: Sothorndara@financier.com
Date: Sat, 8 Feb 2014 20:43:04 +0700
Subject: URGENT PARTNERSHIP
- This mail is in HTML. Some elements may be ommited in plain text. -
Greeting to you my friend, my name is Mr. Sothorn Dara;
my urgent need for a foreign partner within your region has made me to contact you for your urgent assistance.
I am a banker by profession with Vattanac Bank of Cambodia and I am the Chief Account Officer to Late Mr. Lam Kok who died in a helicopter crash in France while inspecting one of his new acquisitions.
Please follow the link to read more about the tragic accident:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25476662
and this link also:
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1403744/body-found-near-chinese-tycoon-helicopter-crash-site
I have the opportunity and power of making you the beneficiary to his deposited funds with our bank. I have all the details and required information to make you the beneficiary to the funds. Please get back to me via my private email (
Sothorndara@financier.com
) for more details about this new deal only if you are interested to actualize this deal with me. Do have a great day. Please I want you to know that this is totally safe and risk free and you do not have to come to the bank here in Cambodia in person. All i need is for you to reply me showing interest and I?ll let you know the next step to take Regards.
Please get back to me via my Private Email:
Sothorndara@financier.com
Expecting to hear from you soon,
Mr. Sothorn.
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Anti-fraud resources:
