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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:
- "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)
- 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.
- +447035906419 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
Fraud email example:
From: "James Chukwuma" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <chukwuma.james46@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2015 00:30:20 -0700
Subject: Hello Dear,
Hello Dear,
It is my pleasure to contact you for a business which I intend to establish in your country.Though I have not met with you before but I believe one has to risk confiding in someone to succeed sometimes in life.
I can confide on you for the brighter future of my life since you are a human being like me. What i need from you is Truth, Trust And Honesty.
There is this huge amount of Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand united states dollars. ($10.500.000.00) which my late farther Deposited for me in a bank here in London as his next of kin before he died out of sickness.
Now I decided to invest these money in your country or anywhere safe enough for security and political reasons.
I want you to help me to transfer my inheritance money to your country for investment purposes on these areas:
1). Telecommunication
2). The transport industry
3). Five star hotel
4). Real Estate
5) company enterprise
If you can be of an assistance to me, i will be pleased to offer to you 20% Of the total fund.
I will be humbly waiting your soonest response.
Respectfully yours,
Mr. James Chukwuma
Tel:+44 703 590 6419
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Anti-fraud resources:
