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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "huge deposit" (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)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- macusgarvy_chambers@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: garvymacus macus <garvymacus@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 16 May 2012 07:11:56 -0700
Subject: REPLY FOR MORE DETAILS
l am Barrister Macus Garvy,a solicitor of a foreigner who died in
Dec 26, 2003 that shared the same surname with you.
I am contacting you to assist retrieve his huge deposit of US$ 37 Million
left in the bank herein Cotonou, Benin Republic before it gets
confisticated.
l wait to hear from you for more details. Please get in touch with me as
soon as you read
this mail through my chambers email address below.
Best regards,
Macus Garvy.
(macusgarvy_chambers@gmail.com)
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Anti-fraud resources:
