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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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:
- "30% for you " (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 next of kin scam.
- This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- advclaude@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "CHLO" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <advclaude@aim.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:59:32 +0100
Subject: GRPSS
Attn: Friend,
I am a retired director of an Asset Management institution here in Mainland China. I am contacting you with regards to our deceased client Mutassim Billah Gaddafi, the fifth son of former Libyan leader Muammar Al-Qadaffi now deceased and the huge investments he made in our institution.
Mutassim Billah Gaddafi who was a former National Security Adviser to the Libyan Government was captured and killed by anti Gaddafi forces in Sirte on 20th of October 2011 during the Libyan revolution. Late Mutassim Billah Gaddafi left the sum of Fourty Six Millions United States Dollars in our Private Banking division without stating his next of kin or a successor to his huge assets.
Your assistance as a foreigner is necessary because the Asset Management institution will welcome any foreigner who has the correct information's to this deposit to stand as beneficiary and the sharing formula would be 30% for you the beneficiary and 60% would be for me and the remaining 10% would go to charity.
Should you be interested, please contact me urgently for more details on how to actualize this sensitive proposal with the following details: Your full names and address, Your date and Place of birth and your telephone numbers preferably a mobile number. You are advised to respond strictly to the following email address: advclaude@aim.com for security reason.
If you are not interested in my proposal, kindly delete this mail for security reasons and I will not contact you again.
Awaiting your urgent response.
Anh
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Anti-fraud resources:
