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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
- They don't notify winners by email.
- You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
- They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
- They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
- They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
- They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
- They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
- 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.
- sicclaimdept.mutas@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "FROM THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sicclaimdept.mutas@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:57:14 +0200
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
FROM THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
Calle Albefura N?23
C.p.28024 Madrid-Spain.
www.loteria.es
Dear Winner,
Your e-mail address was selected as winner of La Primitiva Loteria España
held 28th July 2009. You have won the sum of Euro 650,500,00 (SECHS HUNDERT UND FUNFZIG TAUSEND FUNF HUNDERT EUROS) Only equivalenty
in cash credited to
file with Reference number: ESP/1245/114L/LOP Winning Number 1 - 10 - 30 - 31 -
36 - 37 under the first category.
To file for your claim, please contact with GROUPAMA SEGUROS S.A.
Mr.Rafael Evans
Reply Email :sicclaimdept.mutas@gmail.com
Tel:0034672515394
Congratulations once again from all our staff.
Sincerely,
Maria Garcia
Secretary.
Note: Your are to contact your claims agennts Mr.Rafael Evans on
Tel:0034672515394 and email address:sicclaimdept.mutas@gmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
