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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 state 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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "abuja" (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 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.
- ellenrayaudit@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Ellen Ray" <hismun@scischina.org>
Reply-To: <ellenrayaudit@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2017 17:24:10 -0700
Subject: Re:HELLO DEAR!
ATTENTION SCAMMED VICTIM
YOU’RE REFERENCE CODE NUMBER: 06654, FOR YOUR $500,000.00 USD ONLY
This is to bring to your notice that I am a delegate from the US AMBASSADOR TO UNITED NATION and to the IMF (International Monetary Fund) Regional Payment Office to pay 521 scam victims $500,000.00 USD (Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars only) each.
Your name has been approved for this payment as one of the scammed victims to be paid this amount as listed in the compensation file, you are to respond to this mail and contact Mrs. Ellen Ray in Abuja Nigeria as soon as possible for the immediate payment of your $500,000 USD compensated fund.
You are advice to send the below information to the representative as soon as you read this mail:
[1] Full Names:
[2] Contact address:
[3] Direct Telephone:
[4] Country:
[5] Occupation:
[6] Sex:
[7] Age:
Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Ellen Ray
Email: ellenrayaudit@gmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
