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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +447045766297 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
Fraud email example:
From: "JAMES KEMP -UK" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jameskamp@scotlandmail.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2015 18:59:38 -0700
Subject: Read & Reply
Dear Friend,
Please consider to help me relocate Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($7.500.000). This fund was deposited in a bank here by Mrs. Nina Wang, 69 years of aged, head of a multinational corporation Chinachem, from Hong Kong who died of unspecified illness believed to would have being cancer on April 3rd 2007 without a heir.
Several routine notifications were sent to her forwarding E-mail address but without responses.
She did not declare her next of kin in the bank official papers including her real home contacts. Click here; visit (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6524861.stm)
This money has been floating and if I do not remit it out urgently it will be confiscated by the government as unclaimed fund. You will be compensated with 40% for your assistance to receive this fund.
I will give you all vital information and clarification when I receive your reply through my email.
Regards,
Mr.Garry Jones
Tel:+447045766297
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Anti-fraud resources:
