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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:
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- This email message is a "dying widow" 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.
- miss.edithsteve@yahoo.co.uk (Yahoo, United Kingdom; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Nurse Edith Steve <act_lawyer@yahoo.co.uk>
Reply-To: miss.edithsteve@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2012 20:29:41 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Dearest in the Lord
>From Nurse Edith Steve written on behalf of Mrs. Stella Morgan
Dearest in the Lord
I am Mrs Stella Morgan from Solomon Islands. I am married to Mr. Johnson Morgan who worked with our Embassy in Accra Ghana for nine years before he died on the 15th November 2005. We were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only four days. Before his death we were both born again Christian. Since his death I decided not to remarry or get a child outside my matrimonial home which the Bible is against. When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of U.S. $ 8.5 million U.S. dollars in a bank here in Ghana. Presently, this money is still in the bank.Kindly send your phone number, full name and address.
Recently, my doctor told me I was not going to last a period of nine months due to cancer problem. The one that disturbs me most is my stroke sickness. Having known my condition I decided to donate this fund to a charity organization that will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct herein. I want an organization or a private that will use this fund for orphanages, school and church, widows, propagating the word of God and strive to maintain the house of God.hope to hear from you.
Hoping to get a response. Remain blessed in the Lord.
Yours in Christ
Stella Morgan
E-mail: miss.edithsteve@yahoo.co.uk
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Anti-fraud resources:
