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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:
- "utmost confidentiality" (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 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.
- 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.
- albert@yandex.ru (Yandex; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Marina Luda" <webmaster@cloud-cluster.ru>
Reply-To: watsonalbert@yandex.ru
Date: Mon, 01 Feb 2016 20:51:21 -0200
Subject: GOOD DAY
Hello,
I am Albert Watson,an attorney at law I am contacting you in respect to my=
late client (Mr.Sri Val Edmond) fund valued at (U.S Thirty Five Million Do=
llars). My client died with his entire family on a plane crash in Gulf Air =
Flight Crash,Persian Gulf Near Bahrain Aired August 23,2000 - 2:50 p.m. ET =
as reported on CNN,Visit the website for more details: http://transcripts.c=
nn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0008/23/bn.08.html
After 15years of legal battle his bank has resolved to pay his fund and i =
need you to stand as the beneficiary of the fund as i have no knowledge of =
any of his surviving relative. The fund will be shared in the ratio 60/40 r=
espectively immediately the bank transfers the fund to your account.
Kindly,send your full name & cell phone number to my private email: watson=
albert@yandex.ru
You can also call me at anytime on my cell phone +234-814-536-1891
Please treat this mail with utmost confidentiality as i look forward to yo=
ur reply.
Sincerely:
Albert Watson
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Anti-fraud resources:
