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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: ibrahim samba <ibrahimsamba7@gmail.com>
Reply-To: ibrahimsamba6@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2011 15:57:52 +0900 (KST)
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF MR SAMBA IBRAHIM.
FROM THE DESK OF MR SAMBA IBRAHIM.
BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER,
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO.
WEST AFRICA.
Dear Friend,
This message might meet you in utmost surprise, however, it’s just my
urgent need for foreign partner that made me to contact you for this
transaction. I am a banker by profession from Burkina Faso in west
Africa and currently the bill and exchange manager of the bank. I have
the opportunity of transferring the left over funds ($15million) of
one of my bank clients who died along with his entire family on 31
July 2000 in a plane crash.
You can confirm the genuineness of the deceased death by clicking on
this web site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
Hence, I am inviting you for a business deal where this money can be
shared between us in the ratio of 60/30 while 10% will be mapped out
for expenses. If you agree to my business proposal. Further details of
the transfer will be forwarded to you as soon as i receive your return
mail.
I will like you to send me the following information’s.
1.NAMEÂ IN FULL:......................... .......
2.ADDRESS:.................... ...................
3.NATIONALITY: ................ ...................
4.AGE:........................ .....................
5.Sex......................... .....................
6.OCCUPATION:................. .....................
7.MARITAL STATUS: ....................... ...........
8.PRIAVTE PHONE/FAX NUMBER........................ ....................
SAMBA IBRAHIM
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Anti-fraud resources:
