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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:
- 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. )
- "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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)
- ",500,000" (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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a orphan scam.
Fraud email example:
From: fatuamina abdullah <fatuaminaa@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2015 16:43:12 +0000
Subject: Urgent message for assistance
--
Hello sir,
Please excuse me for this sudden intrusion into your private lives it
is the situation of my life that caused it. Kindly bear with me.I am
Yasmin fatu Hassan a young woman seeking for urgent assistance. It is
With a sorrowful heart that I write you this mail I want to believe
that I can trust you and you won’t betray my trust. My parent were
killed by the rebels on the 10th of february 2010 during the
political upsurge in our country. The fund cached in the safe box is
$4,500,000 (Four Million Five hundred thousand United States
Dollars).He made the deposit with a security company in Ivory Coast
but declared the content of the safe box as containing family
valuables and important documents for security reasons. I have
contacted the director of the company but he told me that unless I
present a trustee or guardian in line with the agreement made by my
late father with the company the safe deposit box cannot be release to
me.That is why I seek your assistance and I will be happy if you can
assist me.
Please help save my life because I am in danger in this country from
those that killed my parent and uncle of my late father.
Yours sincerely.
Yasmin Hassan.
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Anti-fraud resources:
