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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:
- ",500,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- customer_carre0@yahoo.com (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Dennis Williams <denwillss@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: customer_carre0@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:37:41 +0200
Subject: Contact ATM payment department for your ATM card.
Hello Beneficiary,
This is to inform you that your fund through our Global intelligence monitoring network after our due verification and consideration on your unclaimed fund has been approved for payment to you. The hold on your fund has been removed and successfully credited into ATM CARD which is ready to be delivery to you immediately.
Now, contact Mr. Bernard Shaibu and ask him to send to you the ATM CARD that valued at USD$1,500,000.00 .Contact him immediately on his E-mail (customer_carre0@yahoo.com) Telephone Number +229 6838 6687 and send to him your below information to enable him deliver your ATM card to you.
YOUR FULL NAME: ______
YOUR ADDRESS & COUNTRY:_____
TELEPHONE NUMBER:______
OCCUPATION:________
AGE & GENDER:_________
YOUR COPY ID OR DRIVER LICENCE
Best Regards,
Mr. Dennis Williams
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Anti-fraud resources:
