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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:
- "a diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "FROM AGENT DEAN GRAHAM" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <agentdean.diplomaticservices@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2015 07:52:14 -0800
Subject: DELIVERY OF YOUR PACKAGE FROM AGENT DEAN GRAHAM.!!!!/ 02-11-2015
I am a Diplomat by name Dean Graham, from the Cayman Island but working in the West African Sub-Region. You were made the beneficiary of a fund worth $7.5Million by a benefactor whose details will be revealed to you after handing over the funds to you in accordance with the Agreement we signed with the benefactor when he enlisted our assistance in delivering the funds to you.
In respect to this, we have agreed that the delivery of this package of yours be completed without further delay and has been mandated to be effected within 72 hours and all facts authenticating that the funds are clean and legal are all bonded and sealed in the package so you have nothing to worry about.
Hence, there is need for you to give us your full contact details along side your international passport or any form of identification so that we will not make the mistake of making the delivery to the wrong person.
1.Full Name
2.Residential Address
3.Age
4.Occupation
5.Direct Telephone Numbers
6.Any Form of Identification
After verification of the information with what we have on our database file, we shall contact you for further details.
Regards,
Dean Graham.
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