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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: "FREDERICK WILLIAMS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fredwilliam671@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2020 06:31:23 -0700
Subject: GOOD NEWS
Hello,
Compliment of the season and God bless. I know you must have forgotten me since the transaction could not work out as expected by both parties. Well I am same Mr Frederick Williams and hope you are doing very great. Well I am writing this email to thank you for all your supports both in advise and financial help to transfer the $7.8m out of my country. I know it is not your fault rather the wrong story you may
have heard or may be it is not your luck to have it completed with me. Well I got a friend from Japan who later helped out and we have moved the money here in Japan. I did not forget you anyway so I gave
out ATM CARD of $650,000 to my secretary to keep for you so that she can send it to you once you send her your postal address. Please manage it and I will later communicate with you when I am less busy since I and my friend who is now my partner here in Japan are setting up business with the money. So email my secretary your complete name and address and direct phone number through her email
address so that she will send the money to you. Her name is Mrs. Mary Ubaka and her email address is [maryubaka@protonmail.com]
Thanks again and God be with us
Best regards
Frederick Williams
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Anti-fraud resources:
