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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.
- 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.
- davidjaook2@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: DAVID JACKSON <pamelahillys12@gmail.com>
Reply-To: davidjaook2@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 23:02:08 +0100
Subject: RE
Our Ref: RTB /SNT/STB
To. Beneficiary
I am Special Agent David Jackson and I am here in Nigeria as an FBI
delegated Agent to investigate all fraudsters who are in the business
of swindling Foreigners that has one form of business and another in
Nigeria.
Please be informed that during my investigations, I got to find out
that there was a huge sum in millions that was been assigned in your
name (Beneficiary) and the fraudsters were
only busy swindling you without any hope of transferring your fund.
NOTE: You are not suppose to pay that huge amount from the beginning
before the release of your fund and transfer of your fund to you. We
have to inform you that we have made
some arrests in respect of this delayed over due fund payments. I have
a very limited time to stay here in Nigeria; so I advice that you
urgently respond to this message. I shall be expecting your response
as soon as you receive this email.
Please, do not inform any of those people that collected money from
you about this new development in order not to jeopardize our
investigation.
You must get back to me urgently.
Reply back to: davidjaook2@gmail.com
Regards,
DAVID JACKSON
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION NIGERIA DIVISION
INVESTIGATION ON ALL ONLINE WIRE TRANSFER
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Anti-fraud resources:
