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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- ",000,000" (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 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.
- jamesf.rimpng@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "James Frimpong" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <Jamesf.rimpng@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2020 12:49:08 -0000
Subject: Very Crucial Information.
Dear Sir/Madam,
How are you doing today? I have a good Business Partnership Proposal for you. Please endure to read through it. My Name is Mr James Frimpong. I was a special aid to the former Ghanaian President John Mahama who served 4 years in Ghana. Our Government did a lot of work for the Country and saved a lot of money for our personal selves. We lost the next election to the opposition party and the current Government is going after us and our personal belongings for seizure and confiscation.
I have lost most of my properties and funds to his Government on their process of bewitching us. Now I have a saved funds of $25,000,000.00USD in my possession and I have quickly brought it out from the Ghana Banking system where it could be easily traced. I have deposited it in trusted Storage House here in Ghana.
Due to my impact and personality in the past Government, I will find it very difficult to pull this funds out of Ghana to a foreign Country in my name. That is why I am contacting you as a foreigner, to partner with me and I present you as the owner of the funds to the Storage House and change all the Documents in your name for easy and risk free transfer to your Country in your name where we can jointly invest the funds in your lucrative business Venture on an agreed percentage on the investment proceeds or better still share it on an agreed percentage.
Thanks as I wait to have your response as soon as your receive my email.
Yours faithfully,
Mr James Frimpong
Email me at: jamesf.rimpng@gmail.com
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