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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 pounds" (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)
- "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a orphan scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Alice Jobo <alice_jobo@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: Alice Jobo <alice_jobo1@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 15:15:56 +0100 (BST)
Subject: your urgent response needed
Dear One,
My name is Miss Alice jobo. I am 23 years of age. I am the only daughter of my parents. My mother died when I was little. I was raised up by my father.
My father was a wealthy business man dealing in Cocoa and Diamond.
The sudden death of my father has brought me so many sufferings in the hand of my father’s bothers.
My father’s brothers conspired with one of his business associates and poisoned him.
Before his death he had called me beside his sick bed and handed me over a document which he used to deposit 8.5Million Pounds in a bank in my name as his only daughter, he advised me to look for a foreign partner to transfer the fund for investment purposes.
Right now I am in a hide out
I am contacting you to represent me to transfer this fund to your country. If I hear from you I will give you more details including the deposit certificate issued to my late father by the bank.
I am ready to give you 30% of the total sum.
Thank you
Waiting for your urgent response.
Miss Alice Jobo.
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Anti-fraud resources:
