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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "million 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 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.
- sangsuwong2@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Martins Sangsu" <mjaen6678@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 04 Oct 2023 14:02:13 -0700
Subject: Greetings!
Hello, Good Morning
With trust that you are keeping well today !
Let me briefly introduce myself for better understanding, I am Martins
Sangsu, a financial consultant writing to you from the Republic of
Ghana. I am compelled to initiate this communication with you due to
the urgency of the matter at hand. A well known minister in one of the
African countries who is undergoing financial queries by the Authority
over alleged mismanagement of contract funds worth over five billion
dollars has contacted me to help him move transit funds amounting to
US$ 89 Million dollars.
He has advised that the funds be moved from its present position to a
reliable hand and be used for any lucrative investment abroad and
therefore I am contacting you based on the information I already gave
to him that I have a reliable hand in your country to handle the
investment funds but the person I had in mind unknown to me passed
away due to Covid-19 complication as I was reliably informed.
Therefore I am contacting you to know if you are able to handle this
matter by receiving and investing the funds under a 60/40 sharing
ratio of the capital and the investment annual returns. Therefore
should you be ready to move on with the said transaction kindly
provide me your personal telephone/WhatsApp number for further
discussion on the way forward. Please Contact:Sangsuwong2@gmail.com
Regards,
Martins Sangsu
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Anti-fraud resources:
