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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- 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.
- aminajones88@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Amina Jones <amina_jones11@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <aminajones88@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 11:14:48 +0000
Subject: Greetings My Dearest In The Lord Jesus
Mrs. Amina Jones.
Greetings My Dearest In The Lord Jesus
I am Mrs. Amina Jones an ageing widow suffering from long time illness. I
am currently admitted in a privet hospital here in Ghana, I have some
funds I inherited from my late loving husband Mr. Benjamin Michael
Jones, the sum of GBP £7.800.000 (Seven Million Eight Hundred British
Pounds) which he deposited in one of the famous BANK here in LONDON,
UNITED KINGDOM, meanwhile, I need a very honest and God fearing
Christian or an Individual that can use this funds for God's work and
30% out of the total funds will be for your personal use as compensation
for doing this work of God. I found your email address from the
Internet and decide to contact you. Please if you would be able to use
these funds for the God's work kindly reply me. Note: This transaction
is %100 percent risk free hence everything will be handled with utmost
legality, so get back to me immediately hence any delay to your reply
will enable me source for another person. Reply here via my private
e-mail (aminajones88@yahoo.com)
Thanks for your co-operations
Your Sister In The Lord.
Mrs. Mrs. Amina Jones
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Anti-fraud resources:
