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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:
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +447035989324 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
- 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.
- ac2shah.sultan@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
- name: barr.sultan shah tl: +44-703-5989-324 email: ac2shah.sultan@hotmail.com or directly to : our client/investor on email: (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: SMITH SUSAN <zzansmith2@gmail.com>
Reply-To: centraldata.desk1@onet.pl
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 16:41:29 +0100
Subject: RE:(OUR REFERENCE TO PARTNERSHIP & PROPERTY PROCUREMENT)
Dear Sir,
Bear with me as you read this unsolicited mail from me , my name is
Attorney Sultan Shah from Bahrain based in London, UK. We are in
procurement business and we also stand as middlemen (inter media)in
linking our various clients to professionals.
Permit me to inform you that I came across your contact two days ago
when I was searching for Real Estate professionals to link up to my
client who needs a highly knowledgeable property procurement
individual or firm. My investor is an Ex-petroleum minister from one
of the oil rich countries who want his loot while in office to be
used for property investment in your country or anywhere in the world
where there is peace and high commercial activities that can uphold
his business interest.
As an ex-minister, he wants to remain unknown until introduction is
made and he evaluates your profile more with the presentation of his
project. The fund for the investment is available and sufficient on a
round table discussions. If you are such a personality or knows who is
capable to enter into negotiations with us and our client do write
back to me on the following contacts below:
Contact name: Barr.Sultan Shah Tl: +44-703-5989-324 Email:
ac2shah.sultan@hotmail.com or directly to :
our client/investor on Email: messagebox_data@onet.pl . Do request him
for more details of the project.
Note, other related explanations will be better put to table on
receipt of your mail showing interest
in the above proposal.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Yours Sincerely
Attorney. Sultan Shah
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Anti-fraud resources:
