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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:
- "may come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "trunk box" (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)
- "keep it 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.
- 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.
- henry.nelson54@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Kelly Motanga <mrkellymot@gmail.com>
Reply-To: henry.nelson54@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2016 21:44:30 +0000
Subject: GOOD DEY.
This mail may come to you as a surprise base on the fact that we have
not met .I need your help my name is KELLY MOTANGA am 46 years am
contacting you for ogent matter about fund trasfar.
The money was a contract I did few months ago in Sweden And now they
have approved payment. And so I want a delivery agent to deliver it to
you as I will be traveling over to the you anytime soon. This is the
delivery agent information name Mr henry nelson and his mail address
henry.nelson54@yahoo.com. The funds is coming from Sweden.
As I've said before the amount would be put in a metallic trunk box.
Which only me knows the coordinates and I want you to know Is 100%
safe and legal and you need to keep it confidential. You can call him
now and email him as well. Email him your details. Full names, home
address because the amount coming in the box is $ 1, 800, 000.
The company pays in cash and if the cash is been transferred through
banking the IRS would want me to pay a lot of tax. It would be
delivered to your house, because delivery it to your door step is
better than transferring the money through banking because it would be
delivered safely and legally to your home.
Yours Sincerely,
Kelly Motanga
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Anti-fraud resources:
