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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:
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found 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.
- rhassan@citromail.hu (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Ramzi Hassan"<henico@iburst.co.za>
Reply-To: rhassan@citromail.hu
Date: Sat, 06 May 2017 15:32:31 -0700
Subject: Distress Call.
Dear: Sir/Madam,
My Name is Ramzi Hassan from Libya currently a refugee in South Africa unde=
r United Nations High commission for Refugee. I lost my parents in the rec=
ent war in Libya, as a result I ran to South Africa for my dear life now as=
a refugee.
Please save my life as I am in danger and need your help in transferring my=
inheritance my father left behind for me in a Bank here in South Africa, I=
have every documents relative to the fund, all I need is a foreigner who =
will stand as the foreign partner to my father or beneficiary of the fund. =
The money deposited in the Bank is US$10.000.000, (Ten Million United State=
s Dollars).
I just need this fund to be transferred to your account so that I will come=
over to your country and pursue my investment goals as you know that my co=
untry have been in deep crisis due to the war. I cannot go back there agai=
n because I have nobody again left in my family as they were all killed in =
the war.
If you are interested to save and help me to receive my inheritance fund, p=
lease get back to me for more details about me and the inheritance funds.
Mr. Ramzi Hassan.
My email: rhassan@citromail.hu
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Anti-fraud resources:
