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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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:
- "discussion of this transaction in further details" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- 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.
- georgehorswell@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "George Horswell" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <georgehorswell@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 10:00:07 -0500
Subject: Business Proposal/Investment Manager
Attention Friend.
You will be Surprised to hear from me. I have a Business proposal which I will like us to discuss. I am Richard Mark,one of the international Funds Manager of Fidelity
Investment International. The World Largest Funds Management Company with over $1.2Trillion Capital Investment Funds. Nevertheless, as Fidelity Funds Manager, I handle
all our Investor's Direct Capital Funds and secretly extract 1.2% Excess Maximum Return Capital Profit (EMRCP) per annual on each of the Investor's Magellan Capital
Funds.
As an expert, I have made over $44.4m from the Investor's EMRCP and hereby looking for someone to trust who will stand as an Investor to receive the funds as Annual
Investment Proceeds from Fidelity Magellan Capital Funds. All confirmable documents to back up the claims will be made available to you prior to your acceptance.
Meanwhile, I have worked out the strategies and technicalities whereby the funds can be claimed in any of our Clearing Houses without any hitches. Our sharing ration
should be 50-50. Should in case you are interested, Please email me your direct telephone number for discussion of this transaction in further details.
Please send me email to georgehorswell@gmail.com
Sincerely.
Horswell George.
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Anti-fraud resources:
