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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:
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- 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.
- stevekofi000@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Steve Kofi" <info@stevekofi.com>
Reply-To: stevekofi000@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2023 20:31:37 +0200
Subject: Hello Friend!
My name is Steve Kofi a legal practitioner I came across your email and name from a search from the internet, I have a deceased client a consultant to Chevron Company here in my country who share the same last name as you. My late client and his wife lost their lives in an auto plane crash in April 2020 and they've been married for 9 years without a child until death and I've made several inquiries to locate any of their extended relatives but all efforts was to no avail because his save deposit is to be declared UN-serviceable and to be confiscate by the bank as there is no indicated next of kin to claim his saved deposit amount.
I am contacting you to seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to my late client proceeds and save deposits in one of the finance institute since you shares the same last name as him so that the fund would be paid to you as the next of kin and after the fund is paid to your bank account then we both can share the money according to percentage instead of losing it to the bank and government because currently the bank has issued me a notification letter to contact the next of kin to my late client to either make claim as beneficiary of the save deposit or to re-activate the period of deposit with a monthly surcharge of 10% to be deducted as an Escrow safe keeping fee of the deposit.
The total amount of money deposited by my late client was $14.7M (Fourteen Million, Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which he confided in me as his lawyer when he was alive and also I am his closest confidant, I want know if you will be interested to my proposal to present you to the bank as the next of kin to my late client save deposit amount to be paid to you so we can share the money and please don't be scared for I will handle everything concerning the payment to you legally.
I will discuss with you the sharing ratio or percentage of the total money if you accept to work with me but please CAN I TRUST YOU Knowing that it is my sincere wish to use this transaction as a tool to establish an enduring relationship which will benefit both of us.
Please reply directly via my private email (stevekofi000@hotmail.com)
I wait for your reply.
Best regards,
Steve Kofi.
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