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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:
- "processing fee" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Delivery Department" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <dulinksdeliveries@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2017 11:37:04 -0600
Subject: Contact +18472687755 for your package
Attn ,
Your overdue payments of One Million Seven Hundred Thousand USD ($1.700.000.00) has been resolved and you are to be to paid by the funds being packaged and put to DULINKS Courier Services for them to deliver to you,to avoid another hoax as your disappointed in the past.
Contact them with your
Full Name.--
Address
Telephone No-
Bear it in mind the package has arrived at your state international airport and is under customs processing and the only fee Dulinks Courier will
demand from you is their Customs Processing fee of $105.
Their contacts.Mr.Paul Edwards
Tel.+18472687755
yours faithfully ,
Robert Anthony(esq)
Director-General; for Publicity Enlightenment,
Information & Foreign Debts Reconciliation Re-Schedule
Payment Commission
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Anti-fraud resources:
