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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "million us 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)
- "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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- 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.
- linda.wati0141@yahoo.co.id (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Linda Wati" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <linda.wati0141@yahoo.co.id>
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2015 15:19:46 +0800
Subject: ***SPAM*** URGENT PLEASE
Dear Sir/Madam
Firstly, I will like to introduce myself to you. My name is Miss Linda Wati; I got your information during my private search in the information center. I am a cancer patient in King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) in Amman - Jordan. Please here is the hospital website: http://www.khcf.jo
I have been suffering from Cancer of the Skin and Kidney which has affected my heart at the moment. I am 55 years old. I am from Indonesia (Tangerang) but based in United State as a business woman dealing with gold exportation. My sickness has no known cure especially when it has affected my heart. Presently I’m dying slowly from this sickness here King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) in Amman - Jordan and I have requested that my personal wealth will be used for charity work globally since I never married and have no child.
I have deposited my hard earned proceeds valued at the sum of Seven Million Eight Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$7,800,000.00) in a Security Company without the knowledge of anyone. Presently, I am searching for a trust worthy individual who can receive my wealth and use it for charity projects on my behalf since I have no hope of living anymore and all my immediate family members died in the flood, you can read more concerning the flood here http://wreforum.org/bapon/blog/5968
I am soliciting for your concern here and I will allocate you with 35% of the $ 7.8 million US dollars if you accept to carry out my last wish. Then the other 65% of the funds will be used for building a charity home that will be named after my name as; LINDAWATI CHARITY HOME FOR THE NEEDY.
Please let me know if you are interested to help me achieve my last wish before I depart this world. As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the Security Company. If you can do this please get back to me as soon as you can before death cross my part so that I will send you a copy of my international passport and a deposit Certificate which you will present to the Security company to prove that I LINDA WATI instructed you to contact them for the release of my fund to you, so that you can fulfill my dream of building an orphanage home in your country. I will stop here and wait for your urgent reply @ linda.wati0141@yahoo.co.id
Yours Dying Sister
Mrs. Linda Wati
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