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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:
- "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- This email message is a orphan scam.
- 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.
- myhankuj@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <micahnamahna@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2019 05:12:17 -0800
Subject: HELLO..
My Greetings,
My name is Michael Kudjo; i am a Sudanese refugee from Darfur. I am an orphan having lost both of my parents in the conflict in my country. Presently i am in the refugee camp (Bujumbura camp) here in Accra Ghana. I came here because when we were fleeing the destruction at home, my late mother gave me some document which she took away from our house when it was set ablaze by the government supported militia. One of the documents was her marriage certificate; the other was a certificate of deposit from a security company in Accra Ghana.
Please I need your urgent assistant in transferring this my late father funds and Gold Dust deposited with one of the Security Company here in Ghana, for my future Investment and continuation of my University level please I am pleading with you to assist me or you can also come over to Ghana and witness everything by yourself. Upon your responds I will furnish you with all the documents related to this transaction God Bless you as I wait for your urgent response.
I will send you the particulars of the company when i hear from you also always reach me with this email address: myhankuj@gmail.com
Thank you Sir,
Thanks
M.Kudjo.
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Anti-fraud resources:
