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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:
- "million us 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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Nelson Edem <nelsonedemm@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2023 16:21:32 +0000
Subject: I Wait Your Response,
Greetings,I am the Auditing and Accounting section manager with Coris
Bank International.I discovered sum of $11.3million us dollars that
belongs to one of our foreign customer who died with his supposed next
of kin since 16th October 2005. I need your urgent assistance in
transferring the money into your private bank account.The banking laws
here do not allow such money to stay more than 20years because the
money will be recalled to the bank treasury account as unclaimed
funds.
The money has been here in our bank lying dormant for years now
without anybody coming for the claim of it. I want the bank to release
the money to you as the relative and the next of kin to our deceased
customer,so that we move it into useful investments. That is why
contacted you for a business deal where this money can be shared
between us in the ratio of 40% for you and 50% for me.While the
remaining 10% will go for Orphanage, Less privileged and Widows.By
indicating your interest i will send you the full details on how the
business will be executed.
Mr.Nelson
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Anti-fraud resources:
