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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:
- "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)
- "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)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Yildiz Oguzhan" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <yildiz_oguz56@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2019 01:32:04 +0700
Subject: ATTEND URGENTLY !!
Good day
My name is Yildiz Oguzhan, a Board Member working with ILBANK of Turkey. I have an interesting business proposal for you that will be of immense benefit to both of us.
I need your assistance to secure an inheritance fund that belong to a late investor of our bank who died and left the sum of $13, 500,000.00 Million dollars in our bank for some years ago and no next of kin has come forward all this years for claim.
Most importantly, I will need you to promise to keep whatever you learn from me between us even if you decide not to go along with me. I will make more details available to you on receipt of a positive response from you.
I am in good faith and with trust waiting for your Urgent respond and maximum cooperation for more details.
Best Regards
Yildiz Oguzhan
Board Member
ILBANK of Turkey.
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Anti-fraud resources:
