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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:
- "western union" (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. )
- "money gram" (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 united state 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)
- "you are advise to" (this email uses bad English)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
Fraud email example:
From: "United States Post Office" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <processing.department@jameshilary.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2015 01:49:46 +0200
Subject: Attn:Owner of This Email
Post Office -USA.
1719 West Washington
St Charleston,
WV 25312
Attn; Owner of This Email,
Greetings
>From regular mail post office USA.Date:15/04/2015. This is to inform you that there is a ATM
CARD in this office deposited by a private organization body .
Your e-mail address was attached to it and is to be posted to you. we have been waiting for you
to contact us for your conformable ATM CARD which contains the sum of $1.5million united
state dollars and some vital documents. So kindly get back to this office(regular mail post office
USA) to avoid fraudulent issues concerning in this service..
Contact: Mr James Hilary
Email:( processing.department@jameshilary.net)
Phone: 7162028428
You are to confirm and provide to us your postal address below.
Your full name
Your country
Your postal address
Your direct phone
Note: that you are to pay for the duty stamp fee of $685 usd. you are advise to send the duty
stamp fee through western union or money gram to the post office with the manager's name
below and forward the payment information to the post office email:
(processing.department@jameshilary.net) for immediate stamp of your ATM CARD.
Receiver name...... Kathy Rininger
country.....USA
City.... Pennsylvania
Question....To who
answer..... Kathy
amount......$685 usd
note: that every claims has an expiring period of fourteen working days (14days) so you have do
that very urgently to avoid expiration..
Thanks
your best regard
Mr James Hilary
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Anti-fraud resources:
