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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:
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "trunk box" (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)
- "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.
Fraud email example:
From: madam00madam01@tiscali.cz
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2016 10:25:43 +0100
Subject: HAPPY NEW YEAR.............FORM MRS.HANIYA AZIZ...
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*_Hello Dear,_* *_ My name is Mrs. Haniya Abdul Aziz from Libya the wife of late Dr. Abdul Aziz, one of the financial advisers to late President Muammar Gaddafi, the former President of the oil richest country called Libya and the richest president in the world, please I am writing from Libya._* *_ In the news you can hear or see what is going on about the uprise in the country Libya about the secret killing and taken over of the government by the new national transitional council (NTC) you can check in the news about the uprising in Libya._* *_ My husband was one of the financial advisers to the late president and due to the problem in Libya, he was killed early this year, I have been in hiding here in Libya due to the problems and killings which have made me to contact you to help me secure large sum of money which runs into millions of united states dollars which the president Muammar Gaddafi deposited in my late husbands name in a security company as family valuables. _* *_ The money is in a trunk box. Everybody thinks I died with my husband in the explosion that killed my husband and my children but I escaped by grace of god and the money is forgotten since after the death of President Muammar Gaddafi_* *_ Please I am contacting you for you to assist me claim the money and have it moved to your country for a better investment and I am ready to give you 25% of the total money if you are ready to help me. Please I will like you to keep this proposal as a top secret or delete it if you are not interested at all._* *_ Thank you and l look forward to hear from you._* *_ Best regards_* *_ Mrs. Haniya Abdul Aziz._*
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