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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.
- This email message is a next of kin 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.
- mgtbanking@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Delain" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <gmdassets@aim.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:29:40 +0200
Subject: Bequest
I am contacting you on behalf of our late client, a national of your country and the investments he made with our investment bank.
On the 15th of July 2001, our client who was a gold and crude oil merchant deposited the sum of Four Millions United States Dollars under a portfolio management of our investment bank for 4 Years and the deposit matured on 15th of July 2005 with over 98% growth which amounts to a total of Seven Millions Nine Hundred and Twenty Thousand United States Dollars. This funds has since matured and the roll-over on the funds has also expired
Our client died in December 2005 at the age of 81 at the time he was finalizing the divorce procedures of his 4 decade's long marriage. Our client did not state his next of kin or beneficiary to his huge estate because he was an orphan and has no kids and all efforts to locate his immediate family have been unsuccessful.
The main reason of contacting you is for you to stand in as a successor or a next of kin to the huge estate of our late client. I am guaranteeing you that this would be done under a legitimate arrangement if I can have your cooperation and strict confidentiality.
If you find yourself able to work with me on this, get back with me for further details on how to proceed with: Your Full Names and Address, Your Place and Date of Birth, Your Private telephone details and profession to: mgtbanking@aim.com Please if you are not interested in this proposal kindly delete this mail and I will not contact you again due to the sensitive nature of this process.
Awaiting your urgent response.
Delaine
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Anti-fraud resources:
