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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:
- "please indicate your interest" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million 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)
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs.Joyce Unathi Bella." <fvelarde@jujuy.gov.ar>
Reply-To: <joyce.bella@qip.ru>
Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2015 09:54:53 +0100
Subject: GOOD DAY
--
From Mrs.Joyce Unathi Bella.
I am sending you this private email to make a passionate appeal to you
for assistance, I am Mrs.Joyce Unathi Bella from South Africa, and I am
married to Mr. Ajul E.Bella who before his death was a Crude Oil
Merchant in the province of Africa. We were married for 15 years without
a child. Before the death of my husband.
My Husband left the sum of US$21.400 million United States Dollars in a
fix / suspense account in one of the prime bank in Republic of Cote
d’Ivoire. Recently, my doctor told me that I would not exceed more than
five more months due to lung cancer (NSCLC) problem. Having known my
condition I decided to seek for your kind assistance to transfer my
inherited fund into your account for investment and you will use it to
train my adopted son Williams and also 15% of the total will be for your
compensation in respect of your integrity and devotion regarding your
assistance to me, You will take my adopted son Williams as your child
and brought him up in a good and decent manner in his education.
I took this decision to contact you because of my condition and for the
facts that my husband relatives wants to size everything and throw my
adopted son Williams out of the inheritance. So I want to use this
little time I have to achieve this arm before joining my ancestors.
Please indicate your interest and willingness in this transaction by
writing back to me .I want your maximum cooperation and keep this as
confidential for security reasons. I am sincerely waiting for your kind
and urgent response as soon as your receive this mail.
Thanks and Remain Blessed,
Sincerely Yours
Mrs.Joyce U.Bella.
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