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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:
- 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.
- jmsharry44@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: JHS <james@jhlegaluk.com>
Reply-To: jmsharry44@gmail.com
Date: 09 Jan 2023 10:39:44 -0800
Subject: Get Back To Me xxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
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Dear xxx@xxxxxxx.xxx,
I have contacted you in good faith. My name is James Harry, I am
a Solicitor based in London. I am contacting you because you
share the same last name with a deceased client of mine who died
a few years ago. He left behind huge bank deposits with no will
or testament. The bank has requested that I present any of his
relatives to claim his money otherwise it will be declared as
unclaimed and confiscated.
It is my plan therefore to present you to the bank as a family
relation to my late client so that his deposit can be transferred
to you legally by evidence of the fact that you both share the
same last name. I will be able to make this presentation possible
and will guide you all the way until his funds are released to
you. We shall be sharing the proceeds of this claim equally if
you accept to work with me. I will share more details with you
upon your positive response to my email on jmsharry44@gmail.com
Please kindly treat my email as confidential and if my message
offends your moral values then you may delete my email and forget
I ever contacted you.
Best Wishes,
James Harry Esq.
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Anti-fraud resources:
