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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:
- "trunk box" (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.
Fraud email example:
From: engineer donatus <engrdonatus3@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <engrdona@outlook.com>
Date: Sun, 11 May 2014 13:21:12 +0000
Subject: ATTN:URGENT.
ATTN:URGENT.
it is my sincere pleasure writing you after receiving your mail. the funds $7.5m like i mentioned to you was raised from the sale of crude oil from the Ghana oil field . the crude were sold to an Arabian oil company we are two involve in this deal my self and one other engineer including the minister of petroleum.
we have successfully moved the funds in one trunk box into a security vault for safety until we connect a potential investor.let me know if you are capable of handling this investment,
we need to commence all arrangements for the funds transfer. are we transferring the $7.5m to your bank account in your country or any other country? where do you suggest we can invest the funds?
this project needs a serious and confidential investor. the transfer will follow due legal process for the successful transfer of the funds to any bank account you may nominate.this project is 100%risk free.
i am waiting for your mail.
Eng.Donatus.
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Anti-fraud resources:
