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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 dollars" (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)
- "diplomatic courier" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Capt. John P. Henley" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <johnhenly@rediffmail.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2011 23:23:47 -0500
Subject: I need your coperation
Good day,
My name is Capt. John P. Henley. I am a British soldier serving in the military of the 1st Armored Division of the United Nations in Libya. As you know we are trying to protect the lives of the civilians living in Libya in which their lives are endangered by the groups of the Muammar Gadhaffi the Libyan Leader for many years.
We managed to move lives and individual belongings to other neighboring countries by helicopter and rescue planes during which some monies were discovered hidden and retrieved in the event of saving lives. The total amount is USD25 Million dollars in cash. We want to move this money to you as owner and beneficiary of the funds for investments thereafter.
We will take 70% share while you take the other 30%. No strings attached, just in helping us claiming this funds which is presently deposited in the Red Cross office waiting for claims by the owner or relatives. Libya is a war zone now and begins to look very devastating by opposition men with guns against the present regime to the Muammar Gadhaffi the Libyan Leader. We plan on using diplomatic courier and shipping the funds using diplomatic means.
If you are interested, I will send you the full details; my job is to find a good partner that we can trust and that will assist us. When you receive this email, kindly send me your response signifying your interest including your telephone/fax numbers for quick communication, and also with your contact details such as: name and address. This business is without any risk. Please note that the funds can be shipped out in 48 hours upon your acceptance to transact with me.
Best regards,
Capt. John P. Henley
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