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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "i got your email address from " (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
- This email message is a "dying widow" 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.
- annablair.mrs@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Anna Blair <annahelps.blair@outlook.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 08:44:46 +0000
Subject: MESSAGE FROM MRS ANNA BLAIR READ AND RESPOND IMMEDIATELY
My Dear Friend,
Let me first of all inform you, I got your
email address from a mail Directory and decided to mail you for a
permission to go ahead. I am Mrs. Anna Blair from United Kingdom,
married to Dr. Anthony R. Blair who worked with Texaco Oil Company in
Malaysia before he died in a plane crash on his way to a Board meeting.
My Husband and I were married but without any children. Since his death I
decided not to re-marry and presently I am 79 Years old. When my late
husband was Alive he deposited the sum of $11.5M. (Eleven Million Five
Hundred Thousand U.S. Dollars) with a Bank.
Presently this money
is still with the Bank and the management just Wrote me as the
beneficiary to come forward to receive the money or rather Issue a
letter of authority to somebody to receive it on my behalf. I am
presently in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment Cancer of
the lungs. I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have
told me that I have only a few months to live so I think the best thing
to do is to use the money for charity purposes.
I want a person
who is trustworthy that I will make the beneficiary of my late Husband's
Fund deposited with the bank so that the person can get the money and
utilize 70% of this money to fund churches, orphanages and widows around
the world.
As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the
contact details of the Bank. I will also issue you a letter of authority
that will prove you as the new beneficiary of this fund.Please assure
me that you will act accordingly as I stated here in and Keep this
contact confidential till such a time this funds get to your Custody.
This is to ensure that nothing jeopardizes my last wish on Earth.
You can contact me on this email address (ANNABLAIR.MRS@GMAIL.COM)
I await your urgent reply.
Regards,
Mrs. Anna Blair
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