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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)
- "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Elvi Meigh <elvimeiggh@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Elvi Meigh <elvimeigh@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2015 20:55:11 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Beloved in the Lord
Beloved in the Lord
Â
My name is Mrs. Elvi Meigh am from
Cote D’ Ivoire a widow we are the first in Coco producing in the world which my
late husband was one of the highest producer of coco in our country
Â
I am contacting you in respect of
the fund Kept in my care as next/kin which i intend to hand over to you for
homeless children and widows like me all this is because of my ill health which
the doctor has made me to understand that i will die in a short while
Â
Actually, I acquired the sum of
($7.000.000.00) Seven million United States dollars in my care deposited in a
bank by my late husband Mr. Edward Meigh, an Ivorian Coco merchant and also a
businessman (Gold Sellers/Miners)
Â
I am sorry for reaching you so
urgently without prior knowledge of each other. But this is due to the urgency
in my motive to secure a trusted person who can assist me in this very
confidential transaction; I wait your urgent answer of your ability to handle
this for me.
Â
All arrangement to transfer the
money will be legally arrange perfectly without any harm. Let me hear from you
if you can assist me in this to save my life
Â
Â
Regards
Elvi Meigh
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Anti-fraud resources:
