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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 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)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Barrister Hayes C. Viljoen" <int.debtsettlement@gmail.com>
Reply-To: barc.viljoenh@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 3 May 2015 23:37:59 -0700
Subject: Re: Notice
My honorable friend,
How are you doing today? I hope this meets you in good health.
Am contacting you to stand as the next of kin to my late client
(Engineer Daubert) who is of the same nationality and shares the same
last name with you so that we can receive his contract balance worth
(13.8 million dollars) for our mutual benefit. All my effort to get in
contact with his relatives has been futile and I have been given a
notice from the bank that I have to contact the next of kin to claim
this fund before the end of the a given mandate or the fund gets
confiscated and transferred to the bank treasury account as unclaimed
fund.
All I require from you is your honest co-operation to enable us see
this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under
legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any Infringement of
the law.
I anticipate your urgent response indicating your interest in this
transaction, I will send you more details upon your response.
With respect,
Advocate Hayes C Viljoen Esq. LLD
S.C.P.M.A law firm
II Rue Apôtre Jean, Lomé, Togo
Avocat ET Solicituers.
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Anti-fraud resources:
