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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 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)
- 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.
- lwkennedy909@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: =?utf-8?Q?Miss Grace Edward?= <lapizlazuli@disenosdecarton.com.mx>
Reply-To: <lwkennedy909@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2020 03:06:18 -0500
Subject: I need your guide to invest my fund
Dear Blessed One,
I am Miss Grace Edward from republic of south Sudan but I am presently in a refugee camp in Ghana now as a result the civil war in my country that led to the dearth of my parents.
My reason for contacting you is to assist me on how to invest the fund left behind by my late parents before their dearth which I am the next of kin and the only surviving daughter.
Before the dearth of my father, he kept the sum of fifteen million us dollars which he deposited in one of a financial institution in Ghana for my future means, as if he knew that he will not survive the war.
As soon as you replied me, I will send you more details about me and include all copies of the documents of deposited fund for your perusal and references before I give you directive on how to receive the fund for investment.
Once you receive my fund, I will come over there to further my education.
Thanks and God bless you.
Yours sincerely,
Miss Grace Edward.
Email: lwkennedy909@gmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
