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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:
- "dear friend" (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)
- "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)
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- barrkmorrison@yahoo.com (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: kingsley morrison <barrkmorrison@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2015 07:34:48 -0700
Subject: I HOPE WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
Dear Friend,
I guess you are not surprise to receive my proposal since we have not met
before,i hope this mail meet you in an excellent condition.
I am Paa Kwesi Morrison the Attorney and personal Lawyer to late
Engineer.Mark Leonard a foreign contractor and an expatriate resident in
Ghana who died in an auto crash with his lovely wife here in Ghana last
four years and he Left behind a cash deposit of $5.9Million United States
Dollars(Five Million Nine Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in one of
the notable banks which i will disclose to you as soon as i receive your
positive reply.
The Bank has contacted me, as his attorney to provide his Next of Kin since
he did not disclose any next of kin in his file during the initial deposit.
I have the related bank deposit slip in my custody and I seek your consent
to present you as the next of kin to the deceased Fund since you are a
foreigner and i am his personal attorney therefore giving us the advantage
so that the Fund ($5.9Million USD) of this account can be released and
transferred to you as the true next of Kin and beneficiary to the fund.
Note: there is practically no risk involved as this transfer will be
carried out legally through normal bank to bank transfer to any viable
foreign bank Account which you will provide.
So that at the conclusion of the bank transfer both of us can share the
money as agreed 60% for me and 40% to you.
I will be expecting to hear from you.
Best regards
Barr.Paa Kwesi
Note Reply: barrkmorrison@yahoo.com
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