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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:
- "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. )
- "trunk box" (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)
- "trunk boxes" (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.
Fraud email example:
From: "Kaya Kadiatu H." <kayakadiatu@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: "Kaya Kadiatu H." <kayakadiatu@yahoo.com>, kayakadiatu@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2019 15:18:59 +0100
Subject: I NEED YOUR HELP.
Dear Sir,
How are you today? My name is Kaya Kadiatu H and I am 23 years old and I am from *Liberia*. I need your help. My parent died in bomb attack
during the war then I was at the age of 10. My late father was the Former Lands, Mines and Energy Minister.
Now that I have become an adult, my uncle have entrusted and have introduced me to my late father`s deposit of ($145 Million)
cash in trunk boxes deposited in a security company along with (GOLD of 25 Kilograms) and I need your help to move the money
and Gold out of Africa for investment in your country. Please contact me on my secure email address: kayakadiatu@tractmail.com
Thanks,
Kaya Kadiatu H.
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Anti-fraud resources:
