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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "MR. ROY HILL" <royhill@email.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: mrroyhill015@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2014 15:57:42 -0500
Subject: My Request
Dear Friend,
Hope my letter meets you in good health; I propose to you a request that
would be of immense benefit to both of us. First and foremost I apologize
using this medium to reach you for a transaction of this magnitude but
this is due to the Confidentiality and prompt access reposed on this
medium. In unfolding this proposal I want to count on you as a respected
and honest person to handle this transaction with sincerity, trust and
confidentiality.
I have decided to seek a confidential co-operation with you in the
execution of the deal described hereunder for the benefit of all parties
and hope you will keep it as a top secret because of the nature of this
transaction. Being an executor of wills, it is possible that we may be
tempted to make fortune out of a client's situations, when we cannot help
it or left with no better option. The issue I am presenting to you is a
case of my client who died without a will for 12.4 million pounds which
was allocated on his name to some war zones in 2006 but unfortunately he
died after a protracted illness without disbursing the funds.
The share would be 35% for you and 65% for me. I would want to take care
of the needy and less privileged, as this is my primary objective. All I
have to do is amend the will to make you the beneficiary to the 12.4
million pounds legacy. Upon the acknowledgment of this mail full details
would be given to you.
I look forward to hearing from you soon
Yours truly
Mr. Roy Hill
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Anti-fraud resources:
