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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:
- "lome togo" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- lamidosanusi68@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Lamido Sanusi." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <lamidosanusi68@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2015 23:49:21 -0800
Subject: Urgent****
My name is Mr. Mr. Lamido Sanusi I work with standard chartered trust bank Lome Togo as an accountant; I am contacting you to know if you can
make a deal with me, there is an unclaimed funds of USD$7. 7Millon in our bank which I happen to be a personal account officer to one late
American contractor who was involved in a fatal accident along Kpalime express Road. All occupants of the incident unfortunately lost their
lives. He supplied petroleum equipment to One Bascom Corporation, a multi-national oil corporation operating from here in Lome Togo.
A while now the payment has been processed and the draft has been paid into his account but the bank director has issued me a notice to
provide the next of kin or have his account confiscated within the next twenty one official working days. Since I have been
unsuccessfully in locating the relatives for over 2years now, I seek the consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased
And send your information to the authority for legal approval documents to enable you claim this fund. I know what is required to
get this funds released to you. Without taking much of your time, I will advise that you get in touch with me for more details. On my
personal email: lamidosanusi68@gmail.com Please if you are not willing and interested in helping me kindly delete this e-mail from
your computer and pretend you never got it.
Regards
Mr. Mr. Lamido Sanusi
Standard Chartered
Trust Bank Lome Togo .
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Anti-fraud resources:
