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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:
- "million 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)
- "top secret" (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 next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Onuh Uwahm <david@nautilus.com.br>
Reply-To: onuuwahm@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2016 18:50:39 -0200
Subject: Hello Greeting
Greeting, I contacted you some time ago and I got no response from you
hope you received my mail? I mentioned about my late client that has the
same surname with you. He deposited the sum of US$13.580 million dollars
in one of the bank here in our country and the bank has asked me to
provide a next of kin to the deceased for claimant of the said fund. I
wish to present you as the next of kin to the bank. I hereby solicit for
your immediate response and positive commitment and efforts to
facilitate this process. Please I would like you to keep this proposal
as a top secret between me and you. Upon receipt of your reply, i will
give you full details on how the business will be executed and also note
that you will have 50% of the above mentioned sum while 50% will be for
me, if you agree to handle business with me reply immediately for
further details.
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Anti-fraud resources:
