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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)
- "scottmoore30@blumail.org" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Scott Moore" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <scottmoore30@blumail.org>
Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2012 08:28:19 +0800
Subject: For your reference!
For your reference!
I am Mr Scott Moore, the director of operations, ALLIANCE AND LEICESTER BANK PLC, London United Kingdom. I contacted you as regards to a business proposal that will be of an immense benefit to both of us and the less privileged ones. Being the director of operations of this Regional office I discovered a sum of Eighty Five Million Dollars($85M) belonging to one of our foreign customers Late Mr. Moises Saba Masri. He was a business mogul from Mexico that died on a helicopter crash early this year. Mr. Saba was 47-years-old when both his wife, his only son Abraham (Albert) and his daughter-in-law died in the helicopter crash. I will give you more details as regards this transaction as soon as you notify me of your interest.Reply via my personal email address(scottmoore30@blumail.org).
Regards
Scott Moore.
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Anti-fraud resources:
