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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:
- "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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- neryswilliams56@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Nerys Williams" <neryswilliams56@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: neryswilliams56@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2010 13:10:59 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: CAN I TRUST YOU??
Hello pal,
I do hope my email meet's you in good health, I'm Nerys
Williams a U.S. helicopter maintenance supervisor in the
3rd Infantry Division, in Iraq. I am writing to solicit
your allegiance as the custodian to an asset value of 10
Million dollars that we are transferring out of the
country.
My partners and I are in need of someone we can trust to
actualize this venture. The money is from oil proceeds and
is legal.
We are moving it through a diplomatic pouch to your house
directly or a safe and secured location of your choice
through a diplomatic pouch. Can we trust you? Once you
receive the funds, you take an awesome reward of 30% then
keep our 70%. Your role is to find a safe place where the
funds will be deliver. We seek your utmost rationality and
confidenciality in this.
If you are interested reply to neryswilliams56@hotmail.com
then I will furnish you with more details.
Yours buddy
Nerys Williams.
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Anti-fraud resources:
