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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: MR ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS <mralejandromayorkas97@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2022 09:44:02 +0100
Subject: Good day

--
Good day

This Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas The United States Secretary of
Homeland Security. I’m contacting you regarding a Consignment box
worth $20.5 million united state dollars brought to my desk in DC. to
be signed and send back to the originated country as unclaimed fund,
As result of the information I got,

I told them to wait until I hear from you today so that I'll know the
reason why you rejected such amount of money which is your
compensation fund just because of the document.I need your urgent
response as soon as you receive my email and explain to me the reason
why you have abandoned your luggage, but if you don't need it then I
can change your name to another person here in united state so that
this Government will not claim this money. Get back to me right now.

Kindly reconfirm the following details

Name.....
Current home address.....
Personal phone number....

warning: Please you must stop further communication with anybody,
office, individual or organization relating to this
transaction/dealing to Avoid distractions in the remittance of your
fund.

We are expecting a swift response to this letter and upon the receipt
of your letter.

Thank you
Sincerely,
Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas

Anti-fraud resources: