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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:
- "demurrage " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "the consignment" (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)
- "consignment " (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: "Xavi Ramona" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <x.ramona@live.com>
Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2012 10:50:21 -0700
Subject: Common Beneficial Interest!!!
I am Xavi Ramona the Director of Operations with a firm in europe. Our firm is a security company of high repute with years of outstanding service to the people. I have resolved to contact you through this medium based on business proposal that will be of mutual benefit to both of us.
To be explicit and straight to the point. Sometime early 2007, a reputable client of ours deposited a consignment in our company's vault for safekeeping. And since last year 2011 he have failed to come forward to claim his consignment which was due for claim by November 2011, this consignment over time has accumulated a considerable amount of money in demurrage. Consequently, in our bide to contact this client to come and redeem the demurrage which this consignment had accumulated.
>From his file I discovered he did not indicate anyone as his Next of Kin or the beneficiary of the consignment should any eventuality happens. After 3 months of waiting none of his benefactors has come forward to claim the consignment with us, which means that none of his relatives had any knowledge of this consignment. Hence out of curiosity I decided to secretly open the two boxes that our client deposited in our vault. And to my surprise I discovered that the two boxes that were registered as family treasure by our client actually contained a considerable amount of money in United States Dollars amounting to US$35 million Dollar. Since this development I have been nursing plans secretly. With the political instability in Zimbabwe and the rate of corruption there now, if we made contact to send the consignment back to their government it will end up in the pulse of the corrupt politicians in Zimbabwe hence I am contacting you.Upon my receipt of your reply confirming your willingness to assist me of this t
Please maintain absolute confidentiality on this matter.
Thanks.
Yours faithfully,
Xavi Ramona
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