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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:
- "dear friend" (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.
- petermartins391@yahoo.es (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "petermartins391@yahoo.es" <richard@houston-pack.com>
Reply-To: "petermartins391@yahoo.es" <petermartins391@yahoo.es>
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2014 01:01:47 +0800 (HKT)
Subject: Re:Partnership
Dear Friend,
I am contacting you in this way because of the need and urgency of this transaction.
First, Let me introduce myself and this business opportunity to you. My Name is Mr. Eric peters. and I work with Benin Mines & Industry and also the Head of Finance/contract approval department. I wish to know if we can work together?
Really I do not know how best to begin. I am afraid. Not because of I am not sure of my plans or myself but because I am not sure the kind of person you are and what would be your reaction if I open up to you. My plea therefore is that you take me as one who trusts you and help me keep this matter between you and I only, whether you want to do business with me or not.
Where I work, there are so many opportunities for making large money without stress. All that is required is having a trusted partner and confidant from outside my country who can maintain some degree of secrecy and who has a high degree of business acumen to harness the funds that I shall place in his/her custody. I guess your company could be a better plan for this arrangement.
For instance, I have the capacity to move the sum of ( Euros Ђ10.5M ) to your account in any part of the world provided you and I agree on equitable sharing formula between both of us on successful transfer of the funds to your account. I need your co-operation to the extent that you assume the position of a contractor who executed a certain contract (Details of Contract to be provided later) in 2011 and you are receiving the said fund for the contract which was done by your company.
I would like to use my position in the office to recommend you as the business partner to a deceased contractor name (with held) so that you can receive the fund for our own benefits. The deceased contractor has unpaid contract balance payment of (Ђ10.5M) euros for supply and installation of Industrial Equipment to our Industry. He died a month after the completion of the contract project without any registered business partner in his file.
My position as Head of Finance/contract approval department at Benin Mines & Industry affords me the great opportunity to perfect this deal and have the funds remitted to your account without any form of suspicion from the authorities.Contact email: (petermartins391@yahoo.es)
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours Faithfully,
Mr. Richard P. Martins
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