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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 u.s 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: info@Sudan.org
Reply-To: eileenhardy@rediff.com
Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2012 09:36:32 -0000
Subject:
Hello,
My name is Eileen Hardy 17 years old from the
Darfur, Sudan now under (UNHCR) asylum protection in
Ghana because of the war in my native country.
My father was killed along side with my mother during
the long civil war and his properties were totally
destroyed.
However, after their death I managed to escape with a
very important file of my father which stated that he
deposited the sum of (US$4.5M) Four Million Five
Hundred Thousand U.S Dollars in one of the private
Bank in London.
The fund was registered, declared and deposited by my
father as family treasures for maximum security
reasons. I would appreciate you to represent me in
withdrawing the fund and also help me invest in
profitable ventures since I have a limited knowledge
in the business world. I need your friendship and
trust to start living again and put our horrible past
behind us.
I need you to become my family again because I live
lonely here and have no more family. Thanks and God
bless you.
Please reply me to my private emailbox :
<eileenhardy@rediff.com>
Yours
Eileen
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Anti-fraud resources:
