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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:
- 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:
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- "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.
Fraud email example:
From: Ms Vanessa Toure <msvanessatoure@mail.bg>
Reply-To: Ms Vanessa Toure <msvanessatoure1@mail.bg>
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 13:35:13 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: A Letter From Vanessa.
Sir/Madam,
I wish to seek for an investment advice from you. I am interested in investing important amount of funds in Energy sectors and into Real Estates in your country.
I strongly believe that you will not betray my trust which i am going to lay on you and i hope that this investment project i wish to execute in your country will be treated with urgency.
I am Ms Vanessa Touré , now 21years of age.
My late father was a business magnate and an investor. He was also into gold mining and timber export. He died in November 2010 during the post electoral crisis in my country, Cote d'Ivoire when a fired rocket fell on his residential home killing both him and my late mother.
Before his death he had deposited with an European Finance company a sum of $15.5m {Fifteen million five hundred thousand United States dollars} in a dormant account, which was meant for the importation of mining equipment . I need your guidance for the transfer of this funds to a safe account in your country and you will act as the co-beneficiary because i feel no more safe here. You will be compensated with 10% of this fund for your cordial assistance .
Thanks Yours
Vanessa Touré.
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Anti-fraud resources:
