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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:
- "dear friend" (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)
- "lome togo" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a next of kin 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.
- dougtuckson317@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Doug Tuckson <dougtuckson8@gmail.com>
Reply-To: dougtuckson317@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2015 10:04:27 -0800
Subject: Very Urgent
Dear Friend,
Do accept my sincere apologies if my mail does not meet your
personal ethics.
I am Dr. Doug Tuckson, a staff member in the accounts management
section of the bank here in Lome TOGO, One of our accounts with
holding balance of $11.2Million Dollars has been dormant.
>From my investigations and confirmations, the owner of this account is
a foreigner who died long time ago. Since then nobody has done
anything as regards the claiming of this money as he has no family
member who is aware of the existence of either the account or the
funds.
I am contacting you to stand in as a next of kin of the deceased and
have the funds released to you after due processes have been followed.
Please respond directly to my private email address: dougtuckson317@gmail.com
Regards,
Doug Tuckson.
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Anti-fraud resources:
