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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:
- "million 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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: amani phillip <bernadinetoya6@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: phillipamani@citromail.hu
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2012 21:15:00 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Hello dear
Hello dear,
please accept my sincere apologies if my mail does not meet your personal ethic. By introduction, I am Amani Phillip a Fund Manager with a bank in west African rigion, and I handle all our Investor's Capital Project Funds Which Enables me to divert 1.2 Percent Investors Excess Return Capital Funds to our Magellan Trust Funds Account I would love to build up a solid foundation with you in time coming if you can be able to help me in this business proposal.
Listen, the total sum of 9.5 million Dollars (Nine million five hundred thousand Dollars) I Hoped that you will not betray this trust and confident that I am about to rest on you for the mutual benefit of both our families. I need your help urgent assistance in transferring this above mentioned sum into your bank account or you come here in this bank for cash paying into your hands.
I do not want the money to go into our Bank treasury as an abandoned fund. Since our bank could not locate any of his nearest person to inherit this money. So this is the reason why I contacted you, so that with me giving you all his information we can release the money to you as the nearest person to the deceased customer. Please I would like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete if you are not interested. and endeavor to reach me immediately for more details.this is 50/50 parcentage and any expensese you will take care of it,
Remain blessed
Mr Amani Phillip
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Anti-fraud resources:
