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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.
- 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.
- 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.
- jamesmaroleng1@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Hon JAMES MAROLENG" <jamesssscherman@outlook.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: jamesmaroleng1@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2014 09:56:10 -0500 (PET)
Subject: Your money has been loaded into an ATM card
From: Desk office Hon. James Maroleng
1 Edgar Place, E147 HP.South African P.O.Box2064
Tel:+27-7442-50462
Fax:+278844767668
Date: 09-06-2014
Attention:
Based on the final meeting of the year 2014 by the World Bank and Swiss
economic recovery and reconciliation committee we bring to your
attention that we have received the instruction to remit your unclaimed
sum of USD$ 820.000.00 Eight Hundred and Twenty Dollars Only which was
delayed due to unforeseen circumstance at present your money has been
loaded into an ATM card and it will be posted to you as soon as you are
able to confirm the below information.
Receiver Name :
Postal Address:
Mobile Phone number:
Age/Sex.
You are expected to respond to this email within 7 days to avoid closing
your file as unclaimed.NOTE that all email must be sent to:
jamesmaroleng1@gmail.com
Regards
Dr. James Maroleng
Controller
Economic Recovery
Tel:+27-7442-50462
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This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.
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Anti-fraud resources:
