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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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:
- "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. )
- 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.
- muhhaziaz@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Aziza Hassan" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <muhhaziaz@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 2 May 2017 14:57:15 -0700
Subject: Gaddafi Army wife
My name is Mrs Aziza H Mohammed, i am from Libya and my husband is one of the late Gaddafi Army. It was my husband who took Gaddafi family to Niger and Algeria when they ran from Libya. But my husband died when he returned to Libya, their army convoy was hit by NATO bomb. But he told me something very important when he was alive. He deposited some money in a security company as a family inheritance in case anything should happen to Him. And he gave me the documents to save them for security reason, He said the money is Eight Million six hundred Thousand, and 67 kilos of gold.
I have wished to confide this to a trustworthy person but i am afraid to encounter betrayal. I am presently out of Libya because we ran out during the war. why I write you is because I need someone who can stand on my behalf to claim ownership of the fund and the Gold. I have a certificate of deposit covering the deposited items. contact me to privately on my email (muhhaziaz@gmail.com)
Regard,
Madam Aziza H Mohammed
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Anti-fraud resources:
