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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:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million 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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: James Adu <jamesadu430@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 19:14:18 +0000
Subject: From Mr. James Adu
DEAR FRIEND,
I KNOW THAT THIS MESSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE. I AM THE BILL
AND EXCHANGE BANK MANAGER HERE IN COTE D' IVOIRE ALSO KNOWN AS IVORY
COAST. I HOPED THAT YOU WILL NOT EXPOSE OR BETRAY THIS TRUST AND
CONFIDENT THAT I AM ABOUT TO REPOSE ON YOU FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF
OUR FAMILIES.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
I NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IN TRANSFERRING THE SUM OF
(USD$18,000,000,00) EIGHTEEN MILLION DOLLARS
TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHIN 10 TO 14 BANKING DAYS. THIS MONEY HAS BEEN
DORMANT FOR YEARS IN OUR BANK WITHOUT CLAIM.
I WANT THE BANK TO RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEAREST PERSON TO
OUR DECEASED CUSTOMER (THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT) DIED ALONG WITH HIS
SUPPOSED NEXT OF KIN IN AN AIR CRASH SINCE JULY, 2000.
I DON'T WANT THE MONEY TO GO INTO OUR BANK TREASURER ACCOUNT AS AN
ABANDONED FUND. SO THIS IS THE REASON WHY I CONTACTED YOU SO THAT THE
BANK CAN RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED
CUSTOMER. PLEASE I WOULD LIKE YOU TO KEEP THIS PROPOSAL AS A TOP
SECRET AND DELETE IT IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED.
UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL GIVE YOU FULL DETAILS ON HOW THE
BUSINESS WILL BE EXECUTED AND ALSO NOTE THAT YOU WILL HAVE 50% OF THE
ABOVE MENTIONED SUM IF YOU AGREE TO HANDLE THIS BUSINESS WITH ME? AND
5% WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR ANY EXPENSES THAT WARRANT ON THE PROCESS
BEFORE THE FUND GET INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT SUCH AS TELEPHONE CALLS
BILLS (ETC).
SO IF YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST ME ON TRANSFERING THIS FUND INTO YOUR
ACCOUNT KINDLY FILL THIS INFORMATION REQUESTED BELOW:
YOUR FULL NAME-----------------
COUNTRY-----------------------------
OCCUPATION-----------------------
PHONE NUMBER------------------
AGE-------------------------------------
ATTACH A COPY OF YOUR IDENTITY.
BEST REGARD
MR JAMES ADU
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