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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Attasi Dodo <azizrichard78@gmail.com>
Reply-To: attasidodolawfirm@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2021 02:05:54 -0700
Subject:
Dear Friend,
Sorry for contacting you through this medium as we have never met each
other before.
I got your contact via the internet database of your country on my
preliminary search for the relatives of my late client.
My name is Mr. Attasi Dodo, an attorney from the Republic of Togo.
A deceased client of mine who owns a gold Mining Company/sales that
bears the same surname name and country of Origin as yours died as a
result of heart attack in March 12th, 2005 without a valid will to his
left over deposits of Eighteen million Five hundred thousand united
state dollars (US$18.5 million US dollars) with BTCI bank here
without a valid will or record of next of kin.
His heart sudden demise was due to the death of all the members of his
family in the tsunami disaster on the 26th December 2004 in Sumatra
Indonesia years ago without a WILL or next of kin.
VIEW LINK BELOW:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake
My contacting you is to present you as my late client next of kin to
the above mentioned bank and to assist me in retrieving the fund from
the bank before it is confiscated as an abandoned bank deposit and
thereafter we will share the funds equally on a 50/50 percentages to
both parties.
I look forward to your positive response as soon as possible to enable
us proceed with other preliminary steps attached to the success of
this transaction as all the documents which will protect you from any
breach of the law during and after this transaction will be provided
through the appropriate authority.
Best Regards,
Attasi Dodo Esq.
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