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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "huge amount of money" (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)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- 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.
- peeradio@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Charles Born(Snr.)" <peeradio@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2022 07:06:06 -0700
Subject: COTONOU
Good day i am Mr Charles Bonn from Cotonou an African french country
here in
west Africa I am contacting you for assistance how to help me to
invest my late boss fund from USA that was kept in my possession with the
security vault here in Benin that was dead in fire incident at UKRIANE
BOMBING
in UKRAINE sum of $10.5 MILLION USD cash contain in the
box here in Cotonou west Africa and after the death of my boss i am
intention to invest this fund in your country in a profitable
investment and real estate housing business over there,I will offer
you 35% from this total money sum of $70,5musd for your concern to be
the beneficiary of the money and for your time to arrive to Cotonou as
owner for the claiming of the box of the money from the security vault
as owner and next of kin to my late boss because why i contact you is
that i need to invest in your country with this huge amount of money
as partner and i am the only person aware that the fund is existing in
the vault office and this transaction does not involve any upfront
payment if you are interested the following details will be needed. I
will need your full particular information with your scan passport for
securing the BENEFICIARY ID CARD to submit on your behalf to the
security vault as the real owner of the box of the money in their
vault custody and also next of kin to my late boss and the vault only
believe me whoever i introduce as owner of the box after the death of
my boss before your arrival to Cotonou to meet me face to face for
final transaction and i have also make arrangement with Eco bank where
we will open a transit account in your name as beneficiary of the
money gor onward transfer to any part of the world without any
government problem so the transaction is free from all crime and the
deal is bettween us know any other third party.
I will be very glad if you keep this transaction highly confidential
awaiting your quick reply peeradio@gmail.com Charles bonn
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