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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "diplomatic delivery" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- 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.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Michael Dennison" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <michaeldennison11@qq.com>
Date: Mon, 12 May 2014 10:29:57 +0300
Subject: I Anxiously Await Your Response.
I am Mr. Michael Dennison, the United Nations Diplomatic Delivery Agent. This is to notify you that after our meeting today with the United Nations Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, we came to a conclusion that we are going to pay you the sum of US$10 Million for your Compensation Lotto Funds (CLF). This fund of US$10 Million has been approved in your name for final payment; the funds will be delivery to you directly to your house address. Meanwhile the funds have been registered as a Sensitive Photographic Materials into two mental boxes and delivery to you. You are advised to include the following below details to enable you receive your US$10 Million within 24hours: (1). Full Name: (2). Delivery Address: (3). Telephone Number: (4). Occupation: (5). Age: (6). Gender: (7). Driver’s License OR Passport: (8). Nearest Airport Close To You: Mr. Michael Dennison. Telephone: +234 808 595 8552. {smtp.smart.vn.ua}
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Anti-fraud resources:
