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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:
- "your urgent reply" (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.
- 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.
- rogerswilliams861@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Williams H. Rogers" <alfredmxwell@gmail.com>
Reply-To: rogerswilliams861@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2023 09:32:54 +0100
Subject: Attention From IMF
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Hello friend,
Have you received your fund? You have suffered for nothing without
receiving your fund due to over greediness.
You would have received your fund since last year but your problem is
over greediness the cost you a lot of money and still yet,
you have never received $1 into your account.
Your total fund US$5,700 000.00 which approved as overdue payment
which has been lodged with the paying bank while the bad officials has
given you a contact of another bank which you don't have any deposited
fund, this is a secret information and I’m expecting your urgent
response before I can give you more details with the contact
information of the bank.
Listen very carefully, this information is a secret. I want you to
keep it a secret between me and you. If you have received any amount
from your approved fund;
let me know if you did not receive it till today. Reply to me after
reading this message to private
email: rogerswilliams861@gmail.com
NOTE: I created a private email to contact you because this piece of
information I revealed to you is a secret one. Therefore, you should
keep it a secret.
I await your urgent reply.
Thanks!
William Rogers
Senior Supervisor:
Fund Discovery Management (IMF)
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Anti-fraud resources:
