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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- brianjoffe@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Brian Joffe <brianjoffe571@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2014 11:08:04 +0200
Subject: Please I need your help!
Please I need your help!
I am contacting you based on trust, please can you assist me transact a
confidential business deal. My name is Mr. Brian Joffe the CEO of Bidvest
bank South Africa. There is a dormant account in our bank that contains
$20.2 million USD and the owner is late he died some years ago and by the
end of this year our bank will take possession of this huge money but I
want to seize this opportunity to transfer it outside this country before
they can take possession of it. I will tell you what to do and present you
as the next of kin so that this money can be transferred to your account
and afterwards I shall give you 30% of the entire money for assisting me.
Please kindly help me because I need you assistance.
Thanks,
Mr. Brian Joffe
CEO Bidvest Group
Private email: brianjoffe@hotmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
