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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:
- 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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (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: Prince John Williams <john_w_145@yahoo.ie>
Reply-To: john_145@voila.fr
Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:36:06 -0500
Subject: I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE FOR THIS TRANSACTION
I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE FOR THIS TRANSACTION
FROM: Prince John Williams
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB)
BURKINA FASO OUAGADOUGOU
MY DEAR FRIEND,
PLEASE I WANT YOU TO READ THIS LETTER VERY CAREFULLY AND I MUST APOLOGIZE FOR
BARGING THIS MESSAGE INTO YOUR MAIL BOX WITHOUT ANY FORMAL INTRODUCTION DUE TO
THE URGENCY AND CONFIDENTIAL OF THIS ISSUE AND I KNOW THAT THIS MESSAGE WILL
COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE. PLEASE THIS IS NOT A JOKE AND I WILL NOT LIKE YOU
TO JOKE WITH IT.
I AM FROM: PRINCE JOHN WILLIAMSIN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB) OUAGADOUGOU,
BURKINA FASO. I HOPED THAT YOU WILL NOT EXPOSE OR BETRAY THIS TRUST AND
CONFIDENT THAT I AM ABOUT TO ESTABLISH WITH YOU FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF YOU
AND I. THIS FUND WAS DEPOSITED IN OUR BANK BY MR. KATTAN AZMAL FROM JORDAN WHO
DIED IN A PLANE CRASH IN 2000 TBM 700 AIRCRAFT ON 31ST JULY WITH HIS WIFE AND
THE WHOLE CREW ON BOARD.
I NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IN TRANSFERRING THE SUM OF ($10.5) MILLION USD
INTO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHIN 14 WORKING BANKING DAYS. THIS MONEY HAS BEEN
DEPOSITED FOR YEARS IN OUR BANK WITHOUT CLAIM DUE TO THE OWNER OF THIS FUND
DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY AND SUPPOSED NEXT OF KIN IN AN AIR CRASH
SINCE JULY 31ST 2000.
THE REASON WHY I CONTACTED YOU IS THAT AFTER THE BANK AUDIT IN 24TH OF
NOVEMBER, WE FOUND OUT THAT THIS FUND HAS REMAINED UNCLAIMED SINCE THE DEATH
OF THE DECEASED COSTUMER.
I WANT OUR BANK TO RELEASE THIS FUND TO YOU AS THE NEAREST PERSON TO OUR
DECEASED CUSTOMER WHILE I COME OVER TO YOUR COUNTRY TO SHARE THIS FUND WITH
YOU AS SOON AS YOU CONFIRM THIS FUND INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AND ASK ME TO COME
OVER. I DON'T WANT THE MONEY TO GO INTO OUR BANK TREASURE AS AN ABANDONED
FUND. SO THIS IS THE REASON WHY I CONTACTED YOU SO THAT OUR BANK WILL RELEASE
THIS MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED CUSTOMER. PLEASE I WOULD
LIKE YOU TO KEEP THIS PROPOSAL AS A TOP SECRET AND DELETE IT IF YOU ARE NOT
INTERESTING. PLEASE MY DEAR ON SECRET REASON I WANT YOU TO CONTACT ME THROUGH
THIS MY ALTERNATIVE
UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY AND INDICATION OF YOUR CAPABILITY, I WILL GIVE
YOU FULL DETAILS ON HOW THE BUSINESS WILL BE EXECUTED AND ALSO NOTE THAT YOU
WILL HAVE 50% OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED SUM IF YOU AGREE TO HANDLE THIS BUSINESS
WITH ME WHILE 50% BE FOR ME, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ANYONE HERE IN OUR BANK TO
KNOW MY INVOLVEMENT UNTIL YOU CONFIRM THIS FUND INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AND ASK ME
TO COME OVER FOR THE SHARING AS I INDICATED.
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY FOR FURTHER INFORMATION DO
NOT HESITATE TO CALL ME ON THIS NUMBER
THE REQUESTED INFORMATION?S BELOW
==================================
1. FULL NAME..............
2. TELEPHONE NUMBERS/MOBILE/FAX.......
3. YOUR AGE......
4. YOUR SEX.........
5. YOUR OCCUPATION........
6. YOUR COUNTRY AND CITY......
7. YOUR HOME ADDRESS..........
8. MARITAL STATUS............
THANKS WITH MY BEST REGARDS
FROM: PRINCE JOHN WILLIAMS
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