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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:
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- 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.
- misanabiyere@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Allen Misan" <service@oslink.co.kr>
Reply-To: misanabiyere@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2018 01:47:23 -0700
Subject: ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?
This is to inform you of your long overdue outstanding Package in our recor=
ds. I saw your name and address in the Central list of unpaid inheritance c=
laims individuals and have to update your information through this email by=
contacting for immediate confirmation if you are still alive.
=
Your name appeared among the list of beneficiaries who haven't receive the=
ir Package worth the sum of US$20.500, 000 million (Twenty million five hun=
dred thousand United State dollars) and it has been approved already for de=
livery months ago. However we received an email from one Mr. Geoffrey Parso=
ns who told us that he is your next of kin and that you died in a car accid=
ent last four months back.
=
He has also submitted his home delivery information to our office for the P=
ackage to be delivered to him as your inheritor. We are now verifying by co=
ntacting you by your email address, as we have in our records before we can=
make the Package transfer to his nominated home address and for us to conc=
lude confirmation if you are dead or not. Please, confirm response immediat=
ely before our action release the outstanding Package against your name lis=
ted out. Upon this, i request you send your full personal information as so=
on as possible to enable this department finalize the Package release to yo=
ur nominated home address we needs the following information from you urgen=
tly.
=
1. Full Names...................................
2. Telephone and Fax Number..........
3. Contact Address...........................
=
I apologize to you on behalf of International Monetary fund Agency towards =
this contact and proper confirmation required urgently from you if alive. M=
ake sure you reply to my alternative mail address ( misanabiyere@gmail.com )
=
Thanks,
Yours Sincerely
Allen Misan
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Anti-fraud resources:
