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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 pounds" (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)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Mrs Ahalam Abdul <mrsahalamaa201105@att.net>
Reply-To: mrsahalamabdul@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Sat, 5 Mar 2011 01:48:58 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Assalamu Alaikum.
Assalamu Alaikum.
I am Mrs Ahalam Abdul from Abidjan the
capital of Ivory Coast. I am married to Late Mr Abdulhaq Ali of blessed
memory who was a well known cocoa dealer in from Ivory Coast to London
for through out his life before he died in the year 2007. We where
married for 11 years without a child.
Before his sudden death we where
devoted Muslims When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of
1.Million Pounds ( £ 1.000.000.00 GBP ) in a fix deposit account with
one of the banks there in London using my name as the beneficiary since
we could not bear a child,
Presently this money is still with the
bank in my in United Kingdom and i am very sick from cancer of the lug
despite the fibroid and tumour which denied me a child when my husband
was alive as a result i may not last till the next two months according
to my doctor report so i want to donate to a Muslims organisation or
individual who will use it to work for Allah and i have chose you after
making several praying consultations.
I want this money to be sheared among
the next privileged since i do not have a child to inherit it and my
late husband relatives are all Non-believers and i don't want my
husbands heard earn money to be used by unbelievers since I am sure
that they will not utilize the money in the way I have directed to.
Hence the reason for taking this bold
decision. I know that after death I will be with Allah the most holy
and the most merciful.
It is a very important confidential
massage that i will like to tell you more about it so get in touch with
me so that i can fully detail you what i choose you for and as well
give you a little knowledge on how to achieve it.
Any delay in your respond will give me
room to seek for another Moslems organisation or individual for this
same purpose. So pls get back to me with this my private id
Until i hear from you my dreams lay hugely on your shoulders
I am waiting to read from you soon
Your Sister Mrs Ahalam
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