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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "trunk box" (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)
- "your humble assistance" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "diplomatic delivery" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Ms Paola Will <jntc_cl@yahoo.co.jp>
Reply-To: Ms Paola Will <mspaolawills@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 21:09:10 +0900 (JST)
Subject: REPLY IMMEDIATELY
Dear,
Â
It is my pleasure to contact you for a business venture
which I intend to establish in your country. Though I have not met with you
before but I believe one has to risk confidence to succeed sometimes in life.
My name is Miss Paola Will the daughter of late Mr. Jerry Will one of the
military defectors that was killed in Syria by the government force. My
late father left 10.5Million Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand United States
Dollar under the custody of United Nation Security Vault in Syria for safe
keeping because of the war going on now.
Â
I also lost my two brothers. Please I need somebody I can’t
trust as my foreign partner, some one who will not betray me to receive this
fund to help me invest the fund in profitable business in his country.
Â
Now, I have decided to invest this money in your country or
anywhere safe enough outside Syria
for security and political reasons. I have suffered a lot of set backs as a
result of incessant political crisis here in Syria. The death of my father
actually brought sorrow to my life.
Â
I want you to help me receive this fund in your country to
enable UN diplomatic delivery agent bring the trunk box money to your country,
note that there will be no telephone calls because all telephone conversations
are been monitored here in the UN office. I am in a sincere desire of your
humble assistance in this regards. Your suggestions and ideas will be highly
regarded. If you assist me I will be pleased to offer to you 20% of the total
fund. I await your soonest response for more details.
Â
Respectfully yours,
Miss.
Paola Will
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