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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "to your nominated bank account" (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 "New Partner from Paraguay" 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.
- phillvan01@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "ROBERT" <stbsa@safrica.com>
Date: Thu, 09 Mar 2017 07:27:05 -0400
Subject: Very urgent
Dear Good Friend
I am happy to inform you about my success in getting those funds transferred
under the cooperation of a new partner from Indonesia. Presently I am in
Indonesia for investment projects with my own share of the total sum.
Meanwhile, I didn’t forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me in
transferring those funds despite that it failed us. Now contact my secretary
in South Africa his name is Mr. Phill Van.
Email: phillvan01@hotmail.com
I already instructed him to send you the total of $920.000.00{Nine Hundred and
Twenty Thousand United States Dollars} which I kept for your past efforts and
attempts to assist me in this matter. I appreciated your efforts at that time
very much, So feel free and get in touch with my Secretary Mr. Phill Van and
instruct him on how to send the money to you.
Do send your contact details to him as requested:
Your Full Name(s)…..........................................
Your Address…...............................................
Cell Phone Number…..........................................
To enable him submit your details to my paying bank so as to enable them wire
your compensation fund to your nominated bank account or they can send to you
an authorized bank ATM Master Card to your address for you to withdraw the
money from any ATM machine worldwide.
In the moment, I am very busy here because of the investment projects which I
and the new partner are having at hand. Finally, remember that I had forwarded
instructions to my secretary on your behalf to receive the money, so feel free
to get in touch with him and he will send the amount to you without any delay.
Thanks and God bless you.
Mr. Robert Makusha
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Anti-fraud resources:
