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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:
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Rigaf Ujimas <rigafu@tutanota.com>
Reply-To: Rigaf Ujimas <rigafujimas@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2018 19:44:36 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: From Rigaf please help me
Dear,
Please, I am contacting you directly to introduce my self for the help and assistance I require from you. My name is Rigaf Ujimas, I am 17 years old and I want you to be my guardian and manage my inheritance which I inherited from my late parents till I am of the age to take care of my inheritance.
Please do this for me fast before my step mother kills me here. I am sending you this mail as a secrete letter to treat it urgently because of what I am passing through here from my wicked step mother. My late father deposited some money in the bank about $3 million usd but my step mother does not know about the deposit and I want you to receive it for me.
Please let me know if you can do this for me so that I can give you a leading information to receive and access the inheritance for me while I join you to continue my education under your guardiance as my adopted parent. I am waiting for your urgent reply.
Sincerely yours
Rigaf Ujimas
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Anti-fraud resources:
