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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)
- "million 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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- mohammadabu70@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Mohammad Abu" <loankones194@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mohammadabu70@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 2 May 2022 17:44:32 -0700
Subject: REQUEST FOR URGENT ASSISTANCE.
Mr. Mohammad Abu
United Arab Emirates
E-mail: mohammadabu70@yahoo.com
REQUEST FOR URGENT ASSISTANCE.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Greetings from the United Arab Emirates and I know this message might meet
you in (utmost surprise) however; it’s just my urgent need for a foreign
partner that made me contact you for this transaction. I am a banker by
profession from Dubai and currently holding the post of Director Auditing
and Accounting unit of the Emirates NBD.
I have the opportunity of transferring the left over funds (USD$5.5 Million
Dollars) our bank deceased customer late Richard Burson, who died on (Egypt
Air Flight 990) along with his family on a plane crash; visit this website
below for more clarification:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm. Hence i am inviting
you for a business deal where this money can be shared between us in the
ratio of 50% to me, 40% to you while the expenses will be shared 70/30 that
might occur doing the conclusion of the transfer with the paying bank.
If you agree to my business proposal, further details of the transfer will
be forwarded to you as soon as I receive your return mail.
Respectfully Yours
Mr. Mohammad Abu
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Anti-fraud resources:
