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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:
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned 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: Helena Brice <ak257237896@yahoo.co.jp>
Reply-To: helena.brice@t-online.de
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2014 04:40:17 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Re: Thank you so much.
Please I want to confide
in you because of the situation and difficult condition that i now find myself.
I am Helena Brice from Liberia the
only child of late Mr. Harion Brice, who served as a director in the National
Gold Council of Liberia and later went into private business upon retirement.
He was a reputable Gold merchant who operated both in Liberia and the African Coast.
He later died in a
hospital in our neighboring country of Cote d' Ivoire after a protracted
illness. But before his death, he told me that he has the sum of Two Million
Eight Hundred Thousand Euro (€2,800,000.00) deposited in a bank here and he
advised me to look for a foreigner in any country of my choice who will be
ready to help me to transfer and invest this money wisely.
I am now seeking your
assistance in getting this money transferred out and be used for investment in
any profitable business based on your advice and i willing and ready to give
you 15% of the total money for your contributions and assistance to me in
getting this money transferred.
Thanks and i wait your
response.
Yours Obediently,
Miss Helena Brice.
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Anti-fraud resources:
