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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:
- "into your nominated bank account" (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 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.
- mrknightstephen@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Stephen Knight" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrknightstephen@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2017 22:46:03 -0700
Subject: Acknowledge the receipt of this mail
Attention: Sir/ Madam,
My name is Mr. Stephen Knight Chief Financial Officer, and a branch manager in the bank where i work, here in London.
I have a Proposal to discuss with you about a certain bonded account in our Bank. The bonded Account has a balance of GBP 25.150 Million. The funds in question
was deposited in the year 2005 here in our bank to be used in payment of an American oil merchant for his last deal with our client.
Our client Late Roger Brett Kebble of South Africa and Chairman CEO Land-gold and Exploration/JCI Limited: was assassinated on the September 27th 2005 in his
car while driving on his way to a function in Melrose district of Johannesburg South Africa. You can read more about all this on below
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Roger-Kebble-sad-end-to-a-big-life-20150826
I will need to present you as the beneficiary in the documents which I shall present to the bank where the fund is deposited to re-profile the ownership of
the funds with your data to enable them transfer the fund into your nominated bank account. Please reply with your full contact information (your full name
and address Phone/fax etc,) to enable me contact you for a verbal discussion. We shall share the fund after the transfer 40% for you and 60% for me.
Please treat this transaction as a confidential matter. I will send you all the details as soon as you indicate your willingness on my personal Email:
mrknightstephen@yahoo.com
Much Regards
Mr. Stephen Knight
Chief Financial Officer
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