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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:
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- "georgettewills@cantv.net" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Georgette Wills." <georgettewills00@nrb.org.np>
Reply-To: georgettewills@cantv.net
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:10:42 +0545
Subject: Mrs Georgette Wills
My name is Mrs Georgette Wills a nationality of Angola. I am married
to late Mr. William Wills who worked with Angola embassy in Ivory
Coast for Nine years before he died in Octorber 2008. We were married
for twenty years with a child. He died after the illness that lasted
for only four days. When my late husband was alive we deposited the
sum of $13.3Million (Thirteen Million Three Hundred Thousand U.S.
Dollars) with one of good banks here in Cote d'Ivoire .
Presently, this money is still with the bank. Recently my Doctor told
me that I would not last for the next three months due to my cancer
problem.
Though what disturbs me most is my stroke. Having known my condition I
decided to donate this fund to the needs or an individual that will
utilize this money the way I am going to instruct herein.
I want a person that will use this fund to help the needes,
orphanages, research centres and widows .
I took this decision because I have a child that will inherit this
money but my son can not carryout this work alone because i and my
late husband decide to use some of the money to help the needes and
leave some for our son to have a better life. our son is just
17yearold now and been grow up in africa, he have low manterity and my
husband‘s relatives are evil that they have wanted to kill
me and my son and I don‘t want my family hard earned money
to be misused.
I want your telephone communication in this regard because of my
health conditon my Doctor told me to avoid recieveing telephone call
and because of the presence of my family relatives around me always .
Immediately you recievd this message. I don‘t want any of
my husband family relatives to recieve this money.
As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the
Finance/bank. I will also issue you a letter of authority that will
empower you as the new beneficiary of this fund.
Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated here and I
want you to send to me your full name,address,telephone and fax numbers.
Remain blessed.
Mrs. Georgette Wills.
georgettewills@cantv.net
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