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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:
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- barradamspaul@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Prof. Richard Brown" <office------fi3915@att.net>
Reply-To: barradamspaul@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 03:34:48 -0800 (PST)
Subject: COMPENSATION
Greetings From Prof. Richard Brown,
How is your family together with your health condition? Please don't say that I forget you after your assistance to me. Honestly I deeply appreciate your past effort to assist me when i am in need, Now I'm happy to inform you that I have finally succeeded in getting those funds and Gold transferred under the co-operation of another friend of mine from Germany.
Now you are to contact my Lawyer in Accra Ghana for the release of your compensation which I kept with him on your behalf, his name is Barr. Paul Adams on his email address Below;
Name----------Barrister Paul Adams
E-mail---------(barradamspaul@gmail.com)
Telephone----+233-273-290-792
Contact him with your information and address for your compensation of $1.2 Million bank draft with 50kg Gold, Please make sure you re-confirm to him your details information such as your present address in full and other personal information including your ID and telephone number, inform me once you have receive your compensation.
Let me know immediately if you receive it so that we can share the joy after all the sufferings at that time. I'm very busy here with my new investment projects which me and the new partner are having at hand.
This is the year the Lord have made. Contact him now!!
Sincerely,
Prof. Richard Brown.
Dept Gov of F.C.
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Anti-fraud resources:
