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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:
- "huge amount of money" (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)
- "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)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
Fraud email example:
From: "BARR.RAHA.ALI Musa" <barrrahaalimusa60@yahoo.co.nz>
Reply-To: barrrahaalimusa052@hotmail.fr
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2009 12:06:32 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: FROM BARRISTER.RAHA.ALI.MUSA,
With due respect:
I am Barrister Raha.Ali.Musa, the financial attorney of Late Mr. Morris Thompson in Burkina Faso.
My late client has a Dormant Account with a huge amount of Money Valued $60 Million USD (Sixty Million Dollars only) with (B.S.I.C.) Bank Burkina Faso, he died in a plane crash with his entire family, you can read more news about the crash by visiting this website; http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/.
If your are interested to run this deal with me by using your bank account to receive this fund as his next of kin, then I shall provide you with more details on how we shall proceed legally for immediate transfer of this fund into your bank account.
Meanwhile 40% of this total amount will go for you as my partner for your full corporation and 60% will be for me, if you are interested for this deal get back to me for more details
Regards Yours
Barrister.Raha.Ali.Musa
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Anti-fraud resources:
