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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:
- "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.
- contactcapitalinvestment@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "PAUL MENSSAH COSSI" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <contactcapitalinvestment@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2018 12:28:05 +0100
Subject: RE: LETTER OF INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP / Urgent and Confidential!
Dear Sir/Mamdam
My family have an urgent inheritance fund of US$300 Million Dollars (Three Hundred Million, United States Dollars) that we would like to invest with you. We are looking for a reliable and capable foreign partner that will assist my family and I to receive fund to a personal or company account for investment purposes. In the cause of moving the fund to your account for investment my family has agreed to offer you 30% of the fund for your assistant, while 60% will be for my investment in your Country and remaining 10% set aside for taxation and expenses.
REQUIREMENT: What i expect from you in your reply are the following:
(i) Your direct telephone number for easy communication.
(ii) Full contact address to Draft an Agreement between you and my family
(iii) Suggest what investment you would like us to invest in your country once the fund arrives.
NOTE: FOR SECURITY SAKE, REPLY ONLY TO MY PRIVATE EMAIL: contactcapitalinvestment@gmail.com
I anticipate your quick response!
Yours sincerely,
Paul Messah
Email: contactcapitalinvestment@gmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
