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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:
- 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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "mitchael_koffi@cantv.net" <mitchael_koffi@cantv.net>
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2010 06:07:22 -0430
Subject: Please I Need Your Assistance!.
PLS REPLY OR CALL ME
My Greetings to you !
I am
contacting you purely for this mutual benefit deal. My motivation for this
action came after my investigation concerning a particular money abandoned
in my bank to which the bank is about to absurd into the banks treasury as
unclaimed bill. No one else is aware about my action nor informed of this
communication. The sum involved is $17,500 Million five hundred thousand
United States Dollars only. I therefore need your most urgent assistance in
transferring this sum immediately to your private account.
The
money has been here in our Bank lying dormant for eight good years without
anybody coming for the claim. The owner of this account is a foreigner, a
miner and an industrialist. He made millions of dollars before his untimely
death along side his entire family including his supposed Next of Kin since
31 January 2000 this is inline with the report the bank
received.
The Banking laws here does not allow such money to
stay more than 9 years because the money will be recalled to the Bank
treasury account as unclaimed fund. I need your strong assurance that you
will never let me down in this business proposition.
By indicating
your interest, I will hence send you the full details on how the
business will be executed. Reach me faster through this email address or
call as I spacified above.
You are therefore requested upon to make
your proposition on percentage levels for disbursement once the deal is
concluded. This is absolutely important to declare according to terms
inline with what incured expenses because there must be just little
expenses to run during the process of transferring the fund.
Once
again, sorry for however this contact might inconvinience you.
Please
delete if you are not interested as there's no cause for
alarm.
My Regards,
Mr. Mitchael Koffi.
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