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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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: helenphilips1 <helenphilips1@orangemailci.biz>
Reply-To: helenphill@hotmail.fr
Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 09:54:20 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Greetings dear,
Greetings dear,
I am Mrs Helen Philips 62 years old suffering from acute pancreatic cancer as diagnoised by the Doctors. They have told me that i have less than 90 days to live that my illness has gotten to chronic stage. I have an inheritance money from my late husband Mr. Johnson Philips who died of ghastly motor accident with our two children Angela and Michael. I intended transfering this fund abroad for investment purposes before my illness developed to this stage.
The amount involve is ( USD 6.7M ) Six million, seven hundred thousand united states dollars. I want you to contact me urgent with your contact details informaton to enable instruct the bank where my husband deposited the money to release and transfer it to you to distribute among Orphanage homes, Churches and less priviledged ones. I prayed today and my faith told to entrust this humanitarian task in your care as a God fearing one. As soon as i receive your response with your contact details i will instruct the bank to transfer the fund to your account for this noble project.
I will be waiting for your urgent reply.
May God bless you and your entire family.
Mrs Helen Philips.
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Anti-fraud resources:
