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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:
- "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "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)
- "trunk boxes" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
Fraud email example:
From: "Jubril Mirza"
<admin@goldenhill.com.br>
Reply-To: "Jubril Mirza"
<jb_mirza@hotmail.com>
Date: 19 Feb 2015 01:15:01 +0000
Subject: newsletter dated 01-15-00
Hello Sir My name is Barrister Jubril Mirza of the Abdullah Legal Practitioner I'm from Dubai, (UAE) It’s my urgent need For a foreign partner that's why I am contacting you.
My client Mr. Peter Alexander made a deposit of two trunk boxes, valued at $32,400,000.00 with a Security Company here in Dubai. The maturity date for this deposit was 27th of September 2011. Sadly Mr. Peter Alexander was among the death victims in the March 11, 2011 earthquake and Tsunami in Japan that left over 15,690 people dead while he was there on business trip. You can read more about it here: http://mceer.buffalo.edu/infoservice/disasters/Honshu-Japan-Earthquake-Tsunami-2011.asp I am seeking your co-operation to present you to the company as the next of kin to late Mr. Peter Salman, because there was no next of Kin when the deposit was made. Respond if you are interested. Regards.Barrister Jubril Mirza.Abdullah Legal Practitioner
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Anti-fraud resources:
