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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)
- ",000,000" (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 "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
- 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.
- missjoyubaka1@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: YOUR COMPENSATION <mbafunds@sbcglobal.net>
Reply-To: h.sbcforeignremittancedepart@live.com
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:56:10 -0800 (PST)
Subject: your compensation
Dear Friend
Hope this mail find you in an excellent condition ofhealth.I'm happy to inform you about my success in getting those funds transferred under the co-operation of a new partner from Paraguay. Presently I'm in South
Korea for investment projects with my own share of the total sum.
Meanwhile i didn't forget you're past efforts and attempts to assist me in transferring those funds despite that it failed us some how.Now contact my secretary in Nigeria her name is MISS. JOY UBAKA and
her email address is (missjoyubaka1@gmail.com ) ask her to send you the total $5,000,000 which I kept for your compensation for all your past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter.I appreciated your efforts at that time very much.
so feel free and get intouch with my secretary MISS. JOY UBAKA and instruct her where to send the amount to you.
Please do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share the joy after all the sufferings at that time. I'm very busy here because of the investment projects which me and the new partner are
having at hand,finally, remember that I had forwarded instruction to My secretary on your behalf to receive those moneys feel free to get in touch with MISS. JOY UBAKA she will send the amount to you without any
delay.
With best regards
JERRY LONDON
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Anti-fraud resources:
