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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:
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- andersonmissmary22@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Mary Anderson <badloyacouba@gmail.com>
Reply-To: andersonmissmary22@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2017 17:33:29 +0200
Subject: Greetings to you
My Name is Miss Mary Anderson.i am from sudan, I am 21 years old, I
am inSt.Christopher's Parish for refugee in Burkina Faso under United
Nations High commission for Refugee, I lost my parents in the recent
war in sudan, right now am in Burkina Faso, please save my life i am
in danger need your help in transferring my inheritance my father Left
behind for me in a Bank in Burkina Faso here, I have every document
for the transfer; all I need is a foreigner who will stand as the
foreign partner to my father and beneficiary of the fund. The money
deposited in the Bank is $17.4million Dollars I just need this fund to
be transfer to your account so that I will come over to your country
and complete my education as you know that my country have been in
deep crisis due to the war .and I cannot go back there again because I
have nobody again all of my family were killed in the war. If you are
interested to save me and help me receive my inheritance fund Please
get back to me on this email:andersonmissmary22@gmail.com for more
details about me and the inheritance funds.
Miss Mary Anderson.
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Anti-fraud resources:
