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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million british pounds" (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)
- "transaction is risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- 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.
- garystuart52@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Garry Stuart <patrickolatunde002@gmail.com>
Reply-To: garystuart52@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2016 02:30:38 -0700
Subject: Good day
--
Dear Friend;
This message might meet you in utmost surprise. However, it's just my
urgent need for a foreign partner that made me to contact you for this
transaction. I am a banker by profession and currently holding the post of
Chief Operating Officer in the accounting unit of one of the commercial
banks in England.
I have the opportunity of transferring the left over funds (15 million
British pounds) of one of my client who died along with his entire family
on 31 July 2000 in a plane crash. I don't want the Egyptian government to
take over the fund that is why I want to transfer this fund out from Egypt
due to the economic problem going in the country right now and You can
confirm the genuineness of the deceased's death by clicking on this web
site below
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
However, I am inviting you for a business deal where this money can be
shared between us in the ratio 60% for me and 40% for you. All I need is
for you to set up an online account in your name with a reliable bank in
Spain and I will have the money deposited into this online account of
yours to enable you complete the transfer online to your designated bank
account in your home country; Online banking is the safest way of doing
business of such value no matter where you are located. It is as simple as
it looks and as soon as the fund is transferred to your account, I will put
away all documents to cover any trace of the fund.
If you are interested, kindly provide me with the details below:
First Name.............
Surname................
Address...............
City........................
State/Province.......
Country..................
Telephone No........
Occupation ......
Date of Birth (date/m/yr) ......
Copy of International Passport Or ID card.....
Further details will be provided when next I hear from you; remember this
transaction is risk free as I would never jeopardize my future and that of
my family by getting involved into what is illegal.
Have a great day
Yours sincerely,
Garry Stuart
Hampshire, Southampton
E-mail: garystuart52@hotmail.com
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