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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:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- ",000,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "foreign payment department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- 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.
- alexrobbison45@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: david benson <davidbenson3007@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2022 19:10:41 -0400
Subject: Contact Me Is Urgent
I am Mr. Alex Robison, the auditor and head of the computing department
of a financial institution . I wish to inform you of a bank account
that was opened in our bank since my inception into the office in 2003,
and according to our record, it was evident that nobody has ever operated
on this account since then. I therefore took the courage to look for a
reliable and honest person who will be capable of this important
transaction .
The owner of this money is MORRIS JAMES who died in a plane crash in
April 2006. No other person knows about this money or anything concerning
his account and the account has no next of kin and my findings further
proved to me that his family and his country does not know anything about
this account
I am therefore seeking for a reliable person that will play the human role
as the next of kin to this fund which is in the sum $ 5.5,000,000.00(Five
Million five hundred Thousand Dollars ). I have also discovered that if
I do not remit this money out urgently , it will be forfeited to the
government treasury account as an unclaimed fund .
. I will use my position and influence to affect the legal approval and
onward transfer of this fund into any of your nominated bank account of
your choice with appropriate clearance from foreign payment department .
After the transaction you will stand to get 40% while mine 60% of the total
fund.
Please respond immediately via my private email address (
alexrobbison45@gmail.com) for further instructions .
Yours Truly
Alex Robison
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Anti-fraud resources:
