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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:
- "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "my direct telephone number" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- +447045723904 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Richard Green" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <richard.green010@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2011 15:38:01 -0700
Subject: PLEASE GET BACK TO ME
My Dear
I Have a very important request that has made me contact you; I am Mr. Richard Green, The Deputy Managing Director of N I M (Neptune Investments Management). N I M is the World's Largest Fund Management Company with over £1.2Trillion Capital Investment Fund. Nevertheless, as The Deputy Managing Director, I handle all our Investor's Direct Capital Funds and secretly extracted 1.2% Excess Maximum Return Capital Profit per annum on each of the Investor's Marginal Capital Fund.
I need your assistance and Guidelines in making a business investment and transfer £78,560,000.00 to your country within the Next few days. But at this moment, I am constrained to issue more details about this profitable Business investment until I get your response by mail. This fund will be shared 50% for me and 50% for you. Please take out a moment of your very busy Schedule today to respond if you are interested; please call me on my direct telephone number for an initial confidential communication or respond to this email. I wish for your utmost confidentiality in handling this transaction.
Best Regards
Richard Green
+447045723904
http://www.neptunefunds.com/Navigate.aspx/Financial-Adviser/1/About-Neptune/Board-of-Directors
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Anti-fraud resources:
