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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)
- "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- barr.mensubola.esq101@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Barr. Mensu Bola Esq." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barr.mensubola.esq101@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2015 02:37:40 -0800
Subject: UNCLAIMED ESTATE.
Dear Friend,
Please excuse me if I interfere into your privacy in this manner, I am Barrister Mensu Bola Esq. a solicitor at law and family attorney to late client who is
also a native of your country, who lives and work in Togo for many years before he died in a fatal car accident alongside his family. Since then I have done everything possible to trace the relatives of my late client without any luck.
I need your assistance urgently in repatriating the fund valued "USD$10.5M" that he left behind before it's confiscated by the finance firm Since both of you bears the same Family name, I can assure you that there is no risk involved as everything is legal with documentation.
Kindly contact me directly at (barr.mensubola.esq101@gmail.com) for more information.
I’m waiting urgently for your positive response.
Yours Faithfully,
Barr. Mensu Bola Esq.
Tel: +228-90569965.
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Anti-fraud resources:
