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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:
- "might come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- j_j.sharet@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Jennifer David" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <j_j.sharet@yahoo.fr>
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2014 19:53:39 +0100
Subject: Re-Bank Transaction Amount;
Sir,
Re-Bank Transaction Amount;
It gives me a great deal of pleasure to write you this mail even when it might come to you as a surprised. My name is Mrs. Jennifer David. I am an Auditor with a Bank here in Nigeria. I would like to use this means to ask for your assistance in moving some funds over to your country.
I have in the course of my duties come in contact with some funds that have been in-active for a year and careful investigation proved the original depositor of the funds died April 29th
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17889660
Note: my Careful investigations also proved that he has no next of kin documents and the transaction was done on proxy in Nigeria. Now I need your assistance to move this fund out of the bank to avoid the Central Bank of Nigeria forfeiting the fund. I will like to move it outside now and this is where I need your assistance.
If you will assist me get back to me urgent for further discussion.
Sincerely yours,
Mrs. Jennifer David
Private Email; j_j.sharet@yahoo.fr
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Anti-fraud resources:
