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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:
- "huge amount of money" (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 next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr James Amin" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <james.aminu1971@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2016 16:15:49 +0800
Subject: ***Spam*** Hello
Hello Sir/Madam,
I am Mr James Amin and i am requesting that i make you the executor to the wish of my late client who died in a plane crash in Nassau Bahamas on the 9th Of November, 2014. Before his death he was a known preacher but before we proceed any further i will want you to go and make your research on this issue after that is done then we can talk it over and i will give you more details. I do not need you to pay any money to me for anything, all i need is to be sure that you can handle this transaction very well and also take care of the huge amount of money involved and most especially if i can trust you will the whole amount to deliver the dying wish of my late client after a successful transfer of the said funds into your bank account.
Thanks
Mr James Amin
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Anti-fraud resources:
