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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:
- "million 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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <mr.donc_martins@yahoo.de>
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2015 00:28:48 -0700
Subject: Re: Attention Sir/Madam, Please let me know if you are interested.
Attention Sir/Madam,
I am delighted to contact you at this point in time. My name is Mr.Don C.Martins, Bank manager of a bank here in Ghana west African. After several requests for official information from the office of foreign trade of our Chambers of Commerce and Industry, I decided to contact you directly for help. I am contacting you to ask for your urgent assistance and co-operation to re-profile and transfer from a bank the sum of ($37.8 Million United States Dollars) to your Account as the next of kin to my deceased client who you share the same last name with. He died in 2006 without a WILL.
I will give you 40% of the total sum as your own share for your assistance and co-operations.
Please let me know if you are interested. Waiting for your response.
Sincerely,
Mr.Don C.Martins.
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Anti-fraud resources:
