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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:
- "million british pounds" (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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- lewisbabolaw@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "LEWIS BABO" <lewishabanaesq@gmail.com>
Reply-To: lewisbabolaw@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 17:49:36 -0400
Subject: Good day Laurie Loewenstein.
Dear Laurie Loewenstein,
I am Lewis Babo an attorney to Mr. Roll Loewenstein, a national of your country who died in a car crash with his family in London on 21st April 2010 and left behind a deposit of ((£8.7 million British Pounds) here in a bank and I hereby seek your consent to present you as the next of kin since you have the same last name and I have all the documents that would confer you the legal right for the claim. We will share the deposit 50% to me and 50% to you.Please contact me via my details below and send to me your telephone numbers to enable us discuss further on this transaction which will be done legally and risk free.
Best Regards,
Lewis Babo.
Phone: +447924429339.
lewisbabolaw@hotmail.com <mailto:lewisbabolaw@hotmail.com>
PLEASE TREAT AS ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENTIAL.
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Anti-fraud resources:
