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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:
- "stay blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- 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.
- mrs.sharonwilliams10@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "admin22 ." <admin22@gdagm.online>
Reply-To: mrs.sharonwilliams@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2019 21:11:01 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Good Day?
Good Day?
My name is Mrs. Sharon Wendy Williams. I am 63 years old From United Kingdom resides in South Africa. I was diagnosed with cancer about 3 years ago, and I am receiving treatment for it, but now the doctors are saying I have a short time to live. I had no children of my own with my late husband. I was married to Late McCauley Scott Williams who was a contractor with the Government of United Kingdom before he died for plane crashed in 2000 in Kenya airways. I have decided to donate the sum of £10.5 million Pound's to you, so you can disburse to charities, widows, orphans and less privileged. I was doing this myself but now my health has deteriorated.
I will be going in for an operation soon; I want this last act of mine to be my way of giving back to
humanity.
Please let me know if this is something you can handle and I will provide you with more details.
Get back to me on (mrs.sharonwilliams10@gmail.com)
Stay blessed,
Thanks and God bless.
Mrs. Sharon Wendy Williams.
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Anti-fraud resources:
