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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:
- "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- 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.
- andrewbalfour125@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Andrew Balfour <account@thlsh.com>
Reply-To: <andrewbalfour1125@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2015 09:26:29 -0400
Subject: Dear friend
Hello,
How are you doing today, I hope you are in good health..
I am ANDREW BALFOUR, a financial consultant attached with a financial Centre here in the United Kingdom and I am contacting you to assist in this business transaction, I need your assistance in applying for the next of kin to my late customer's account who died of cancer after years of struggling with the disease. He was a wealthy Business man who deposited a huge amount with the financial institution. He died without a registered next of kin as he was a divorcee and had no child. The account has an open beneficiary mandate and I have genuine reason for contacting you to stand as the next of kin to this account.
The details of the deceased and my reason of contacting you will be given to you in my next email, I will furnish you with all the necessary documentation as regards to this transaction. Please endeavor to provide me with your FULL NAME; CONTACT ADDRESS; PROFESSION; AGE and MOBILE PHONE in your reply
I urgently hope to get your response as soon as possible. PLEASE SEND YOUR REPLY TO andrewbalfour125@yahoo.co.uk
Yours Sincerely,
Andrew Balfour
+447937422864
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Anti-fraud resources:
