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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 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 next of kin scam.
- 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.
- georgeerickson63@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "George Erickson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <georgeerickson63@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2017 04:43:45 -0800
Subject: USD$42.8M IS FOR YOU
Hello sir,
I work for one of the Financial institutions in the United Kingdom as an account officer having knowledge of functual accounts and dormant ones. This particular one huge amount amounting up to 94.8 million dollars which has been dormant in that account since 2012 . It was being operated under code by certain richman whose names I will not mention herein who died without any one to inherit his estate in our bank. I am here to inform you that after several attempts to locate even any of my relatives, family members since 2012 practically had proved abortive.
I am seeking your consent to present you as the next of kin to man so that his fund will be transferred to your account. I know all it requires to perfect this deal in less than two weeks hence I write you privately to get your consent to do the business with you. You will get 40% for your participation to secure the fund into your account while 60% will be for me.
Contact me with your information as to your names, address, telephone numbers if interested.
Regards
Mr. George W. Erickson
E-email:georgeerickson63@yahoo.co.uk
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Anti-fraud resources:
