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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:
- ",000,000" (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)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- kufuradams@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "ADAM KUFUR" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <kufuradam@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2013 07:28:23 +0100
Subject: MY REGARDS
ATTENTION.
After my official enquiry from the foreign trade office of the chambers of commerce & industry here, I decided to contact you but I did not disclose the intention to anyone else because of the nature of the project. I found your profile very interesting and decided to reach you directly to solicit for your assistance and guidelines in making a business investment and transfer of US$20,000,000.00 (Twenty million $) to your country within the next few days.Please I must plead for your confidence in this transaction. I am a high placed official working with Department of (Finance & Economic Affairs) in Ghana . I am currently in need of a silent foreign partner whose position we can use to transfer this sum of money. But at this moment, I am constrained to issue more details about this profitable business investment until I get your response , please if you can take out a moment of your very busy schedule today to respond back to my private email below for more details and include your priv
ate telephone number i
Yours Faithfully,
Mr. Adam Kufur.
Finance & Economic Affairs Dept.
kufuradams@gmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
