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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)
- 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.
- +447024036386 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
Fraud email example:
From: "IVANOV IGOR" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ivanov@qatar.io>
Date: Mon, 16 May 2011 19:11:29 +0100
Subject: investment
My Dear,
My name is Ivanov Igor. I'm a Russian citizen but I’m presently in England. I’m a trusted aid to the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and I have been mandated by him { Muammar Gaddafi} with a sole responsibility of moving his money to a safe heaven due to the incessant seizure of his assets by the international community because of the uprising in Libya. We decided to contact a neutral person for this transaction in order to avoid any trace of the money by the opposition.
He is interested in establishing and operating a very viable business as a means of investment in your Country. I do not know too well on how this is done in your country, so I will need you to help me in this regard. I believe you know the best location as far as your country is concerned.
Our preference is any good profit yielding business and I would appreciate any viable ideas you could come up with. We are proposing to invest the sum of Twenty Million United States Dollar ($20,000.000.00USD) for this. If you are interested in this business, please send your full name and contact telephone numbers immediately upon receipt of this email.
Our need to move this money out is very urgent as I have ten days to complete this mission and have the $20 million dollars released to you. I have fashioned out ways of sending the money to you without any problem and I will give you further information as soon as I receive a positive reply from you. Be assured that you will be adequately compensated in this transaction.
I will need your telephone and mobile numbers for easier communication with you in-case I am unable to access my emails. You can call me on telephone number +44 702 403 6386
Best Regards,
IVANOV IGOR.
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