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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:
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "huge amount of money" (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)
- "hundred thousand us 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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "keep this confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Carmen Muriel" <christine.atego@trident.co.ke>
Reply-To: "Mrs. Carmen Muriel" <carmen_muriel15@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2015 15:02:29 +0300 (EAT)
Subject: ***Spam*** I SEEK YOUR HONEST TO HELP MY SON?
Dearest,
Good Day to you I know that this email will be a surprise to you but please I need your urgent assistance to save the life of my son. First my name is Mrs. Carmen Muriel I am 58 years old I am the wife of Col. Philip Muriel who was attached to the former president of Cote D’Ivoire Ex-president Laurent Gbagbo who was now arrested by the new president in office and also under ICC for Prosecution. My husband was killed when our home was bombed by the President Alassane Ouattara Military and I was injured badly and I am now in hospital in a village located in the eastern part of the country where I am taking treatment. Last week my Doctor told me that the bullet that penetrated into my stomach touched my two kidneys and that I cannot survive so the doctor told me that I have few weeks to leave now.
So I contacted you because I have a son who is 17yrs now and he is with me in the hospital he is the only one alive among all my children because he was in school when our house was bombed. Please I want you to take my son with you and help me take care of him I know that you are an honest person that is why I have the trust to contact you and you know how difficult it is to be an Orphan. I have 100% trust in you that is why I comfy this to you and to hand over to you my son. Why I am contacting you now that I am still alive is to make sure that my son is in good hand. Our house was burnt and my husband’s account was all frozen by the new Government but there is a huge amount of money what of $9.7m (Nine Million Seven Hundred Thousand US Dollars)that my husband deposited in a suspense account with one of the prime bank here in Cote D’Ivoire and the Government have not known about this fund. So I want you to present yourself as the owner of this fund so that the bank will transfer this fund to you and you will use this fund to invest for my son in your country.
I do not want to present myself now to the bank so that the Government will not know about this fund and as you know there is no one that knows that I am still alive because if the Government knows that I am still alive I will be arrested even as I am still at the point of death so that is why I want you to keep this confidential, I know that I can trust you that is why I contacted you but please if you know that you will betray my trust in you do not reply to this mail. But if you know that I can trust you 100% then reply to this mail so that I will give you the contact of the bank and all information’s regard to this fund. Please do not be afraid this is 100% risky free if you follow my instructions. Please I will like you to take this urgent because as the doctor said I have a few weeks to leave and if I die without this fund being transferred to your account you cannot be able to get the fund transfer again and my son will suffer in this country so I need your urgent action on this and also I need your trust to save my son and this fund. I will stop here until I read your reply. Again I will give you the information about the bank and the fund immediately I receive your reply and My son is ready to offer you 30% from the total fund if you assist him to send the fund to your country.
Remain Blessed
Mrs. Carmen Muriel
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