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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:
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- 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.
- abdulaiyerahmani1@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr.Abdulaiye Rahmani" <abdulaiyerahmani01@gmail.com>
Reply-To: abdulaiyerahmani1@yahoo.com
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2015 21:29:08 +0000
Subject: Greetings to you and your family,
Greetings to you and your family,
Good Day, I am A manager of (BOA) Audit & Accounts dept. I am
writing to request your assistance to transfer the sum of $8,
600.000.00 [Eight million Six hundred thousand USD ] into your
accounts. The above sum belongs to our deceased customer who passed
away along with his entire family in the Benin plane crash 2006 and
since then the fund has been in a suspense account.
Please I would like you to keep this proposal as a top secret or
delete it if you are not interested. The total sum will be shared as
follows: 60% for me, 40% for you and all incidental expenses that may
occur during the transfer process will be incurred by both of us. The
transfer is risk free on both sides hence you will follow my
instructions till the fund get to your account. More detailed
information’s with the official application form will be forwarded to
you to explain more comprehensively what is required of you; you are
free to call me through my private telephone number.
Your Full Name........................
Your Sex..................................
Your Age..................................
Your Country.............................
Your Occupation........................
Your Personal Mobile Number.....
Best Regards
Mr.Abdulaiye Rahmani
TEL: +226 75448132
PRIVATE EMAIL: abdulaiyerahmani1@yahoo.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
