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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million us 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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Alhaji Hassan Kareem <hassanalhajii98@mail.com>
Reply-To: Alhaji Hassan Kareem <alhajihassankareem@outlook.fr>
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2017 17:24:57 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF ALHAJII HASSAN KAREEM.
 FROM THE DESK OF ALHAJII HASSAN KAREEM.
THE RETAIL & WEALTH MANAGEMENT
BANQUE COMMERCIALE DU BURKINA,
(B.C.B.) OUAGADOUGOU BURKINA FASO.
Dear Friend,
I know that this message will come to you as a surprise as we never
Meet before. I am the Retail & Wealth Management
Banque Commerciale du Burkina (B.C.B) Ouagadougou Burkina Faso. I Hope that you will not
Expose or betray this trust and confident that I am about to repose on
You for the mutual benefit of our both families.
I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of $10.6Million
US Dollars to your account within 10 or 14 banking days. This money
Has been dormant for years in our Bank without claim. I want the bank
To release the money to you as the nearest person to our deceased
Customer I don't want the money to go into bank treasury as an
Abandoned fund. So this is the reason why I am contacting you so that
The bank can release the money to you as the next of kin to the
Deceased customer.
Please I would like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and
Delete it if you are not interested. Immediately i received your reply
With the following personal information’s bellow, I will give you full
Details on how the business will be executed and also note that you
Will have 40% of the above mentioned sum while 60% will be for me.
If you are interested to handle this business with me, urgently
Respond with the information’s bellow.
1. YOUR FULL NAME..........
2. NATIONALITY.................
3. YOUR AGE......................
4. OCCUPATION.................
5. PHONE NUMBER.............
BEST REGARD.
Alhajii Hassan Kareem.
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