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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million us 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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- 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.
- sgtgeorgehuberusarmy@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Sgt Don George Huber" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sgtgeorgehuberusarmy@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2019 15:19:01 -0700
Subject: Attn: Valued Beneficiary! ??
Dear Friend,
I am Sgt Don George Huber, an officer of the U.S Army. I am currently
in Syria and have some funds $6.5 000,000.00 (Six Five Million US
Dollars) I will need to ship to you which will benefit you and I for
disbursement and establishment in any country of your choice and give
you 40% of the total fund for your assistance. Presently I and two of
my other colleagues have successfully secured this money and the above
figures was my own share which is presently relocated out of Syria for
safe keeping purpose.
Can you be trusted? Please contact me asap with your full details and
we thank you guys for your prayers and support and hope to come back
to our country safely. I will only highlight more on this transaction
once I receive your reply.Please keep it very confidential to your
self and signify your interest by replying to my private email.(
sgtgeorgehuberusarmy@gmail.com ) so that we can proceed.
Waiting your urgent reply,
Yours sincerely,
Sgt Don George Huber
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