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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:
- "hundred thousand 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)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- ab_is2@cooltoad.com (Cooltoad; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs.Bethel Solundo" <gbsolundo@mmnnk.net>
Reply-To: ab_is2@cooltoad.com
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:05:56 -0800 (PST)
Subject: I want you to contact my lawyer for your inheritance fund.
My Dear,
I crave your
indulgence at this mail coming from somebody you have not known before. I
decided to do this after praying over the situation. I would like to introduce
myself as Mrs. Bethel Solundo director of Benin Cement Company and widow to
Late Mr.Gibson Solundo (former Consular of the Benin
embassy in Madrid, Spain. I have been recently been
diagnosed of Cancer of the Pelvic and I have only but a month to live according
to my doctors report.
I need not dwell on how I came by your contact information
because there are many such
possibilities these days but I strongly believe that my instinct will not fail
me for the decision I've taken to hand over my fund to you.
I want you to contact my lawyer, Hon. Dike Mobutu of Mobutu
Legal Chambers through his telephone +229 982 34 042 or email address ( ab_is2@cooltoad.com ) Instruct him to send you the sum of
(USD$1.5M) One Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars that I kept
for you in which you should use 30% of the total sum for yourself and then 70%
for the less privilege in the society.
I cannot predict what will be my fate by the time you will
receive the fund, but you should please ensure that the fund is used as I have
described above.
Mrs. Bethel Solundo.
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Anti-fraud resources:
