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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:
- "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)
- "u.k " (this email uses bad English)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- bar.tonyadams75@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Barrister Tony Adams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <hr.1950@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2014 14:48:57 -0000
Subject: Letter Of Intent
The Beehive Coffee Tavern
496 Streatham High Road, London SW16 3QB
Tel:- +44 74 52240187
My name is barrister Tony Adams, a founding partner of SHR Chambers, London and a personal attorney to late Engr. Brian who until his death was a category A contractor to Shell U.K Ltd. My client who died in a ghastly motor accident with his wife and only daughter executed a contract for SHELL, U.K worth U$10.9 Million (Ten Million, Nine Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) only. His contract was on the construction of Storage Tanks for Petroleum Product (Depots) which was concluded by my client before his untimely death. Shell has issued me a notice to contact my late client’s relative or the fund will be diverted to the Bank treasury. So far all my efforts to get hold of someone related to my late client has proved abortive. I am actually asking for your consent to forward your name to SHELL UK as the Next of Kin/beneficiary to my late client since you bear almost the same name with him and he is from your country so that his contract payment which is due for release can be pai
d into your account as hi
Yours Faithfully,
Barrister Tony Adams
Tel: - +44 74 52240187
E-mail:- bar.tonyadams75@yahoo.com
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