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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:
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- 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.
- fredkingsleychambers1@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Fred Kingsley Chambers" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fredkingsleychambers1@yahoo.fr>
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2018 13:05:39 -0800
Subject: GET BACK TO ME.
Dear Email [-],
The United Kingdom's Treasury Department receives over £10bn every year from unclaimed estates; forgotten funds; abandoned shares and dormant accounts.This letter is a final warning notice regarding the death of my Late client Edward, wife and only daughter while on holiday at Louisiana USA in the August 2005 Atlantic hurricane Katrina disaster. According to the laws of England and Wales, section 46 of the Administration of Estates Act of 1925 (with subsequent amendments). My late client's bank has issued me a Final written notice to provide his next-of-kin within 7 days or have his funds declared UNCLAIMED and sent into government treasury.
I have been in charge of managing his properties here in London for a long time. There were some of his properties put out for sale before his death,for which payment has since been made. The proceeds of the sale is deposited into his local account here. I found your name in some of his documents and that is why I traced your email through an advanced search.
I am contacting you because you bear the same last-name with my late client.I want to know if you are in anyway related to my late client.
Regards,
Fred Kingsley (Attorney at Law)
Principal Partner
Email: ( fredkingsleychambers1@yahoo.fr ).
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Anti-fraud resources:
