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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.
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- fkanlau@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: kanlau235@gmail.com
Reply-To: fkanlau@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2015 21:03:38 +0100
Subject: Urgent please!
Greetings
My name is Fei Kan Lau,a Senior manager with Bank of China
United Kingdom.I have a transaction that I believe will be
of mutual benefits to both of us.It involves an investment
portfolio of a late client who bears the same last name with
you and died as a result of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in
China while working as a contractor to the Chinese government.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Sichuan_earthquake
I would like to acquire with the proceeds of this investment
with your help and assistance.This will be executed under a
legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach
of the law and you will be compensated adequately according to
agreed commissions.
What I require from you is your trust and honest cooperation
to enable us see this transaction through.You will have to
show commitments to the cause as time will be of great importance
in what we have to do.If you are interested and prepared to
work with me according to these dictates,please respond to this
message immediately so that we can discuss,make assessments and
after your basic understanding of the whole project,commence
the process by which we will actualize the project.
I wish you a pleasant day as I hope to read from you on my
private email: fkanlau@yahoo.com.hk
Yours sincerely,
Fei Kan Lau.
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Anti-fraud resources:
