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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:
- "hundred thousand 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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr Lucas Morrison" <file@stiaenlawfirm.com>
Reply-To: "Mr Lucas Morrison" <lus_morris01@voila.fr>
Date: Sat, 19 May 2012 13:15:23 -0400
Subject: =?US-ASCII?B?QXR0ZW50aW9uIFBsZWFzZSw=?=
Attention Please,
I am Mr Lucas Morrison from Burkina-Faso; The Chief International Relation Foreign Remittance Unit of my bank here in Burkina Faso Ouagadougou Branch.
I Have an Opportunity to the Sum of Fifteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$15.500.000.00), to transfer into a foreign account over there in your country. I will provide the full details of this business transaction when once we known each other as business with trust. I personally contacted you and you alone.
For the sake of Transparency on this matter, you are free to make immediate contact for further clarification and explanation on this matter. And all the information and data's you will need to make successful claim of this fund in the Bank are fully ready with me here.
Please urgently confirm your willingness and interest to assist by filling and sending back to me the needed information below. 1. Your full name; 2. Your phone Telephone and fax numbers; 3. Your age; 4. Your country and city.
Thanks and best regard
Mr Lucas Morrison
Mobile: 00226 70568795.
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Anti-fraud resources:
