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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million 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)
- "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: John Williams <johnwd46@ssummail.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:36:57 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: From Mr. John W. David.
From Mr. John W. David.
　
Dear friend,
　
I am Mr. John W. David, an accountant working with one of the Commercial banks here in Ivory Coast. I am contacting you on a business of transferring the sum of Eight Million United States Dollars (US$8 million) into a safe foreign account and it must be very confidential. I need your help to come out to stand as the next-of-kin to late Mr. Burckhardt Erich, a customer to our bank who died in a plane crash on Monday 2nd. September 1998 (14:22 gmt.) while travelling from New York to Geneva. Take note of my reason of contacting you. This fund is dormant and if it stays a little long the bank will block the fund. The depositor is no where to be found after all my investigations of the file through our bank server.
However I contacted you so that the proceeds of his account with our bank can be paid/transferred to your account and you and I will share the funds 50/50. I have all the formalities to legalize it on your name. Note that all the modalities of this transfer are RISK FREE, I want to make the following points clear for you so that you can have a better understanding of why I am contacting you.
　
1-As civil servants, we are not permitted to operate or own a foreign account while in office due to CIVIL SERVICE CODE OF CONDUCT.
2-A reliable foreign partner abroad is required for assistance to claim the fund as the case may be.
3-Your name will be forwarded as the next-of-kin to the late depositor of the fund.
Open below site for confirmation.
　
http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9809/swissair.victims.list/index.html
　
Upon your response I will give you the next step to take for the transfer processing on your name.
　
Thanks for your understanding.
　
Regards
Mr. John W. David
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