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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:
- "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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- vanhictvietnm@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "v.anh" <v.anh@ictvietnam.com.vn>
Reply-To: vanhictvietnm@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 06 May 2016 19:37:22 +0700
Subject: Waiting to hear from you soon
Hello,
Good day,
I am Nguyễn Vân Anh, living in a Dakar Senegal with my son.I was
Satisfied with your Profile of which i prayed over it before Contacting you
for this Important and Beneficial Matter.
My Late Husband Mr.THANH VOUNG was a Well Known and Accomplished Man who had
Vested Interest in so many Business areas which made him amass Great wealth
before his Death but after his Burial his Relatives Seized all that he had
since he didn't leave any Will and was in in fact ill Prepared about his
Death which was quite sudden and a shock to me.He had a Deposit with a Bank
in Europe Amounting to Twenty Million United States Dollars($20M USD) Having
me as the Next of kin in the Mandate File which Nobody is aware of it except
me Right now i am in Dakar-Senegal with my son and has contacted the Bank
Officials who Confirmed everything but did say that access Cannot be Granted
on the Funds nor any Transaction/Order Carried out on the Account until i
have met with the Inheritance Claim Requirements of the Country.Given my
Condition and inability to handle this matter that's why i am Contacting you
so that you Urgently assist me with all that has to do with the Release
Requirements Upon which arrangements shall be made for our Traveling to Join
you so that my son shall Continue his Education while you Manage the Funds
as my Managing Partner.I am offering you 15% Net of the Amount for your
Assistance.Please communicate with us through this email address (
vanhictvietnm@gmail.com ) for security reasons.
Do please Keep this matter Confidential in view of our Personal and Funds
security
Thanks
Nguyễn Vân Anh
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Anti-fraud resources:
