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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:
- "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)
- 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.
- infomailinfo@citromail.hu (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "mail" <info@regularmail.org>
Reply-To: infomailinfo@citromail.hu
Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2022 16:41:17 -0700
Subject: Do You Know Mrs Hardesty?
United Nations Office
Foreign Debt Settlement/Reconciliation
United Nations
Good Day,
I am directed to contact you in order to confirm from you if you know one Mrs. Caroline Hardesty, who claim to be your business associate/partner. The said Mrs. Caroline Hardesty confirmed to us that you got infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and passed on. She further stated that she will like to change all the information given to us as our beneficiary to her's as the sole benefactor. This development is coming now that the Ministry want to offset all outstanding payments to all our legal foreign beneficiaries around the world. Note that your payment file was affected.
As you may know, the total amount in your favor is a total sum of $2.5 Million Dollars. We need to confirm from you if you are dead or alive. Bear in mind that if we do not hear from you within 72 hours, it automatically means that you are dead indeed and the information passed to us by Mrs. Caroline Hardesty is correct. You are to contact me through my email address as soon as you receive this message so as to know the true position of things in order to avert any mistake in remitting your out-standing payment to a wrong person/account.
Your swift response will help this ministry a lot. Do email me with your Full Name and Direct Phone Number for easy communication, your age and occupation world suffice. Finally send an urgent reply to enable us educate on the next step to take immediately without any further delay.
Email Me: infomailinfo@citromail.hu
Yours Sincerely
Mr. Liam C. Donovan
Resident Representative
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Anti-fraud resources:
