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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- timothysparks65@yahoo.com.mx (Yahoo, Mexico; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Facebook Lotto" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <creditiincentivelimited@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2015 10:25:32 +0200
Subject: Congratulations
>From the desk of: Mr.Freddie Johnson
Facebook, Inc. Agent,London, UK.
Phone:+44 750 953 0182
London U.K.
Attention: Facebook User,
Thank you for your using "facebook.com"
We are oblige to congratulate and notify you that your Face-Book Profile
was used by you or someone else to register an Account with Facebook and has
emerged you as one of the Luck Winners in Category "A" which subsequently
won you $500,000.00 US Dollars. Your fund has been insured and its ready for
the immediate release to you without hitches. Details of your Winning are:
Winning #: FB392-US7720
Batach #: 0024892JT
Serial #: DT119027834SZ
Do be informed this is not a fake notification - Its real!! Kindly contact
the claims Department for more information on timothysparks65@yahoo.com.mx ...
Call for confirmation now: +44 750 953 0182
Congratulations in advance!
Yours Faithfully,
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg
CEO/President of Facebook
Facebook Inc ©2015
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Anti-fraud resources:
