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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.
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Ade Marcus" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ademarcus6@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2017 17:36:02 -0000
Subject: Complement of the season.
Hello Dear,
This message will be the Last Notification I will send to you as my earlier letters to you through Post Office
was returned undelivered. Hence I decided to reach you via email since this information needs urgent
attention of yours. I'm contacting you because you bear the same surname with our deceased client who
died in 2003. For some weeks now the management of our bank has issued me a notice to provide an
immediate or extended next of kin to the deceased or have the Escrow Call Account confiscated within the
next 14 banking days.
FILL IN CORRECTLY YOUR INFORMATION AND SEND TO ME FOR IMMEDIATE PROCEDURES OF THE
TRANSACTION.
1. Your Full Name:.................................
2. Your Address: ..................................
3. Nationality:....................................
4. Telephone:....................And Mobile No:...........
5. Country of Residence:...........................
6. Occupation:.....................................
7. Marital Status:...................Age:.........
I am the Telex Department Manager of my bank and also the personal account officer to the deceased.
Once I get the response to this message I will prepare an application for fund release which you will send
to the Bank here in Ghana for the release of the Fund to you as the legal beneficiary, further clarification
shall be made known to you on receipt of your positive response towards above subject
I will be disappointed if the labor of my deceased client is confiscated. So kindly get back to me with your
full contact information as stated above for appraisal.
Best regards,
Ade Marcus.
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Anti-fraud resources:
