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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:
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "@lawyer.com" (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 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.
- barristeredwin@lawyer.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: John Alaba <johnalaba12@gmail.com>
Reply-To: alabala392@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 4 May 2015 20:05:32 +0200
Subject: Urgent is very Confidential
Confidential
Attention
My name is Edwin Charles lawyer , personal attorney to my late client
who is from your country died of a heart attack in 2000. He
deposited OF USS$33,000.000.00 Million Dollar in
the bank here. He died without any registered next of kin , as it has
long been divorced and had no children.
Bank contacted me and said they will confiscate his account and the
money if I am not able to provide any of his relatives or family
member. I contacted you because you can perfectly cope with this deal
and fit as his next of kin , we can work together to claim this money
and share it 50/50.
Please get back to me with your information as stated below for more
information: barristeredwin@lawyer.com
Full name:
Contact address:
Mobile Phone Number:
Please reply me through this email address above for more information
Yourself-faith
Best regards
Barrister Edwin Charles
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Anti-fraud resources:
