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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:
- "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)
- "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: William Krumah <wilikrumah1@gmail.com>
Reply-To: williamkrrumah10@live.com
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2014 17:37:43 +0000
Subject: Urgent
I am Mr. William Krumah manager of bill and exchange of Foreign Remittance
Department, in my department i discovered an abandoned sum US$4.6M (Four
Million Six Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) belonging to one of our
deceased customer who died alongside with his entire family in a car crash
accident over years.
Gotten information about the death, i have been expecting his next of kin
to apply for claim because it can't be released unless someone as next of
kin applies for fund release.
It is therefore upon this discovery that i solicit for your help and
assistance since you share same last name with him.
Yours faithfully
Mr. William Krumah.
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Anti-fraud resources:
