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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:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "million united states 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 next of kin scam.
- 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.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. John Walter" (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2012 23:07:10 +0100
Subject: Your Attention Is Highly Needed
Mr. John Walter
Barclays bank
Piccadilly circus
48 regent street
London w1b 5ra
Telephone: +44-7707384590
Compliments of the day to you. I am Mr. John Walter the Auditing Manager Barclays Bank London and I am writing this Letter to ask for your support and co-operation to carry out this business opportunity in my department.
I discovered an abandoned sum of (thirty five million united states dollars only) in an account that
belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family in an air crash of Iran's
Passenger Plane of 2009.
Since we heard of his death, nobody has come for any claims as nobody knew of the account. The name of our late Customer is Hossein Rahmati and his family. He is an unknown oil magnet and a member of Iranian Parliament.
Http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/15/content_11714491.htm
We have been expecting his next of kin to come over and file for claims for his money as the heir, because we cannot release the funds from his account unless someone applies for claim as the next of kin to the deceased as indicated in the Barclays Bank guidelines and that is the reason why I deem it fit to contact you to act as the next of kin.
For the commencement of this transaction, we require you to immediately indicate your interest by a returning a response with your private contact such as telephone number, fax number full name and address to enable us file a Letter of Claim to the appropriate department for necessary approvals before the funds can changed in your name,
Looking forward to receiving your prompt response.
Regards
Mr. John Walter
(Audit Department)
+44-7707384590
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Anti-fraud resources:
