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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:
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a orphan scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Antonia Tompson <hope_william001@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: Antonia Tompson <tompsonantoni@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2011 08:26:08 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: ATTN.Please very inportant.
ATTN.Please very inportant.
I am Miss ANTONIA I am the daugther of the late.Chief SEAG TOMPSON, My late father before he was assassind by the REBELS here in cote d' ivoire.he was a very rich merchant and exporter of coffee and cocoa based here in Abidjan the Economic capital of cote d' ivoire.before the death of my father,He made us to understand that he deposited a box containing the sum of ($15.500.00 million usd) in a private Security company in my name as the beneficiary and that his forigne besuness partner and i will be coming for the claim.
But the security company does not know the real contents of the box for he deposited it and decleard it as family valuables according to what is in the documents that was issued to him the day he made the deposite.
The documents is rigth here intact with me which i will gladly send you a photo copy of them all for verification and proof by contacting the security company for confirmation.I will as well send you my picture for recorgnitions and you will send me yours as well including your address,phone and fax numbers which will be submmited to the security company as i was adviced by the security company so that they can reach you.
I will like you to help me in order to retreave the box from the security company by standing as my late fathers forigne business partner after which we will now transfer the money to your account there in your country for investment (such as real estate or any other good investment).
For this reason I request honorably your help to retreave the box. We want this transaction to remains confidential,(i am here with my brother) we are willing to offer you 20% of the total sum as compensation for your effor regards the successfull end of this transaction In addition, you can tell me more options that can help us for this reagrds. For my part I believe that this transaction can be reached with your help and support. So I ask you to act fast because of the political problem here in cote d' ivoire.Hoping to have a favorable and positive response to my request.
Awaiting to here from you as soon as you recieve this message
God bless you.
ANTONIA TOMPSON
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