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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.
- This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- ibrahmed201055@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: James Tofa <tgred13@verizon.net>
Reply-To: jamestofa200987@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 01:40:23 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Compensation For Yor Past Effort
Compensation For Yor Past Effort
Dear Good Friend .
I'm Happy to inform you about my success in getting those funds transferred under the cooperation of a new partner from Paraguay . presently i'm in London for investment projects with my own share of the total sum. meanwhile i didn't forget your past efforts and attemps to assist me in transferring those funds despite that it failed us some how.
Now contact my Secretary in Benin his name is
Mr Ibrahim Ahmed
Email: ibrahmed201055@gmail.com
Phone: +229 66 30 10 12
Ask him to send you the total of $500.000.00 which I kept for your compensation for all the past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter. I appreciated your efforts at that time very much. so feel free and get in touched with my Secretary Mr Ibrahim Ahmed and instruct him where to send the amount to you.
Please do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share the joy after all the sufferness at that time. in the moment, I am very busy here because of the investment projects which me and the new partner are having at hand,finally, remember that I had forwarded instruction to the secretary on your behalf to receive that money, so feel free to get in touch with my Secretary Mr Ibrahim Ahmed , he will send the amount to you without any delay.
Regards,
Mr James Tofa
London UK
Tel: +44 703 592 4206
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Anti-fraud resources:
