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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.
- sonamikan@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Sonami" <woalbou@gmail.com>
Reply-To: sonamikan@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2018 14:15:10 +0000
Subject: Please Assist Me
Kindly Assist Me
In good faith from Mr.Sonami, actually could you please consider to help me
to relocate this sum of five million, three hundred thousand dollars
(US$5.3 m) to your country for establishing a medium industry in your
country? The said 5.3 million dollars was deposited in our bank by Mr.
Jean-Noël Rey a Swiss land citizen who died in a terrorist attacks in 2016.
We have never met before, but need not to worry as I am using the only
secured and confidential medium available to seek for your foreign
assistance in this business. I am contacting you independently of my
investigation and no one is informed of this communication.
I contacted you in this transaction on my search for a reliable, capable
partner and I discovered that the late Swiss died along side with his
supposed to be next of kin through CNN News on terrorist attacks. I will
give you all vital information concerning the Swiss and the 5.3 million
dollars in our custody so that you will contact my bank for them to release
the money to you. You can come here in person or you can request the bank
to give you the contact of the bank lawyer's who can represent your
interest in the transfer process.
Reply and send this information to me at: sonamikan@gmail.com
Your full Name.................
Age.......................
Country....................
Occupation..........
Your Telephone Numbers.........
Have a nice day and good luck
Mr.Sonami
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