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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- 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.
- thomas_douglas01@accountant.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Zenith Bank Nig Plc." <thomas_douglas01@accountant.com>
Reply-To: thomas_douglas002@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:34:16 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: UNCLAIMED FUND
UNCLAIMED FUND
Â
Attention Please,
I’m Thomas an accountant in the Bills and Exchange of the Foreign Remittance Department of Zenith Bank Nigeria Plc. I’m writing to know if you can make a deal with me.
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 I discovered an unclaimed inheritance funds USD $13.2Million in the bank. But from the document’s which I have here concerning the funds our formal late governor of the state who died 15years ago happened to own the funds and I discovered also know next of kin to the account means that the governor steal the funds from the government house.
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Now I will like to present you as the next of kin to the account so that it will be transfer to you after which we share accordingly.
Contact me if you are interested with your full details through my private Email Address
Â
( thomas_douglas01@accountant.com )
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I will be waiting for your Urgent responds
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Thank you
Thomas Douglas.
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Anti-fraud resources:
