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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:
- "death certificate" (this phrase is often used in inheritance scams such as next of kin or https://419scam.org/419-murdered-businessman.htm">orphan scams. )
- "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "STEPHEN BROWN" <sam@synergita.net>
Reply-To: stephenknife20@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2017 08:49:27 +0530
Subject: Write back.
Dear good friend,
My name is STEPHEN BROWN working with one of the express courier
companies in Accra Ghana. I am working as the stock keeper on cargo section.
Your information was generated through a certain U.S Business
Directory.
I am writing to you on confidential basis believing that you will
handle this information with utmost confidentiality. I am writing
to you in respect of Six Unites of gold bars of 3KG each which is 18KG
in all. The gold bars have been in our vault for more than two years.
I have conducted intensive inquiry and found that the original
depositor of the gold died as result of cancer decease in Saudi Arabia
where he was dealing on trucks sales. I have verified all the
documents associated to the gold and there was no any indication of
next of kin. I have also traveled to the hospital where he died in
Saudi Arabia and collected the death certificate purposely for this
deal.
I will like to front you as the next of kin but we shall start with
9KG as first trial shipment. The last trench will be carried out if
you did not betray me. According to my master plan, 60% of the sales
will go for me while 40% goes fro you. If this deal interests you,
feel free to reach me and I will let you know how we shall go about
that.
Write back here.
Best Regards,
Stephen
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