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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:
- ",000,000" (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)
- "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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- edwardjacob.esq@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi <mauriceia.verissimo@unimedjp.com.br>
Reply-To: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi <edwardjacob.esq@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2015 14:55:44 -0300 (BRT)
Subject:
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
Good
day and compliment. My name is Saif al-Islam Gaddafi son of the late
Libya head of state Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi who was
killed in 20th OCT 2011
My
ordeal started immediately after my father’s death and subsequent take
over government by the new administration. The present government is
determined to portray all the good work of my father and have gone as
far as confiscating all his assets. As I’m writing this letter to you,
I’m in detention and under-going torture and questioning by the Libya
government since 2012
I
have been held in communicado since the death of my father; hence I
seek your indulgence to assist me in securing some funds. We are not
allowed to see or discuss with anybody unless the government
representatives.
It
is in view of this I have mandated our family’s former lawyer Edward
Jacob based in South Africa who had been assisting the family to act on
behalf of me concerning the substance of this letter.
My
late father has fifty million USD ($50,000,000.00) which me and his
lawyers knows about .it is in South Africa and I seek your assistance to
get the funds out for security reasons and investments.
I implore you to please give consideration to my predicament.
May Allah show mercy as you do so .
Best Regards
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi
N/B: Please contact Edward Jacob (edwardjacob.esq@hotmail.com)on his email address for further briefing and modalities
Sent By: John Jones QC (Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Lawyer)
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Anti-fraud resources:
