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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.
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: AGENT MARK JOHNSON INTERPOL <owenchris238@gmail.com>
Reply-To: interpolagentmarkjohnson@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2020 15:59:33 -0800
Subject: NOTICE OF SCAM EMAIL SENT TO YOU.
ATTENTION:
NOTICE OF SCAM EMAIL SENT TO YOU.
FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS EMAIL
MIGHT CAUSE YOU BUT WHAT I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT IT
IS MY DUTY AND MY JOB TO PROTECT INNOCENT INDIVIDUALS FROM ALL OVER
THE WORLD TO AVOID THEM BEEN SCAMMED.
MY NAME IS AGENT MARK JOHNSON OF THE INTERNATIONAL POLICE FORCE
ASSOCIATION (INTERPOL) AND THROUGH OUR INTELLIGENT SERVICE WE WERE
ABLE TO INTERCEPT EMAILS WHICH ARE FRAUDULENT BEEN SENT TO YOU. ITS
ALL LIES AND ITS AN ATTEMPT TO DECEIVE YOU INTO BELIEVING THE STORIES
AND AFTER THAT THEY GET YOU TO SEND MONEY TO THEM AND THEN YOU NEVER
RECEIVE NOTHING BACK. THESE SCAMS ARE BEEN SENT TO INNOCENT
UNSUSPECTING INDIVIDUALS ALL OVER THE WORLDS AND MANY OF THEM FALL
VICTIM TO THESE INTERNET CRIMINALS. SOME OF THESE EMAILS YOU RECEIVE
ARE HONEST ONES AND LEGAL ONES, BUT YOU WOULDN'T KNOW WHICH IS REAL
AND LEGAL EXCEPT WE HELP YOU WITH INVESTIGATIONS TO ASCERTAIN WHICH IS
LEGAL AND WHICH IS NOT.
ON THAT NOTE, I AM ASKING YOU TO FULLY CO-OPERATE WITH US, IGNORE AND
FORWARD ANY EMAILS YOU RECEIVE FROM ANYONE FROM THE INTERNET TO ENABLE
US INVESTIGATE IF ITS A FRAUD OR SCAM OR IF ITS LEGAL. I AM HOPING YOU
WILL UNDERSTAND AND CO-OPERATE WITH THIS OFFICE TO HELP FIGHT AGAINST
INTERNET FRAUD AND SCAM, BY THE WAY WE HAVE YOUR INFORMATION'S AND WE
CAN MONITOR YOU. DO NOT TELL THE CRIMINALS ABOUT OUR COMMUNICATION
WITH YOU OR ELSE THEY MIGHT ESCAPE. I AM HOPING TO COUNT ON YOU TO
HELP US FIGHT AGAINST INTERNET FRAUD.
AWAITING YOUR URGENT RESPONSE.
THANKS
AGENT MARK JOHNSON
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Anti-fraud resources:
