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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:
- "million united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- 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.
- allandav_caterallan@yahoo.co.uk (Yahoo, United Kingdom; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Sgt David Hess" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ssgtdavidess@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 2 Oct 2010 16:41:23 -0700
Subject: IN GOD WE TRUST
Attn:Dear,
I am staff Sgt David Hess an america so who was formal station in iraq before i was transfferd to Affganistan.i It is my pleasure to let you know about my success in getting those fund transffered under the cooperation of a new partner from UNITED KINDOM. I
didn't forget your past efforts to assit me in transffering those funds.Please contact my Account officer Allan David true his email(allandav_caterallan@yahoo.co.uk) ask him to tranfer totalsum of $1.2 million united state dollars into your account which i raised for your compensation .so feel free and get intouched with him and give him your address where to wire the transfer:
(1) FULL NAME .................
(2) ADDRESS ...................
(3) COUNTRY ...................
(4) PRIVATE TEL ...............
(5) PRIVATE FAX ...............
Do Let me know immediately you receive it okay so feel free to get
intouch with him.
Best regards,
SGT DAVID HESS
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Anti-fraud resources:
