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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:
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- 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.
- +22546564849 (Cote d'Ivoire, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
- 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.
- douglaspetters@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Douglas Peters <princenow4u@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: Douglas Peters <douglaspetters@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2016 11:08:04 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Please Reply.
Hello,
I am Mrs. Anita Douglas Peters from Sierra-Leone. But I live in Abidjan Cote
d'Ivoire here with my only child Douglas Jnr Peters a 17 years old boy. I am presently
suffering from long time disease which started immediately I came back from
the village for my late husband's funeral. Well I do not want to bore you
with my situations.
I have some funds $3.2Million. These funds are the fruit of my late
husbands enterprise which he deposited in one of the bank here before his
death. I am seeking for your assistance to help me receive this funds in
your account in your country and use part for the well-being of the poor in
your country or elsewhere in the world. You will also be required to use
part for business investment and to help Douglas Jnr Peters come over to your country
to further his education. I and my son Douglas Jnr Peters have agreed to reward you
with $3.2Million for your assistance and for seeing to the successful
transfer of this fund to your account.
If you are interested, please reply immediately for more details.
Thanks and may God bless
Yours beloved sister,
Mrs. Anita Douglas Peters and son Douglas Jnr Peters
Call my son here +225 46 564849
Email (douglaspetters@hotmail.com)
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