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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:
- "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)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Kenneth Robertson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrkennethone@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2017 19:20:56 -0700
Subject: VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MR. KENNETH
Hello,
I am Mr. Kenneth Robertson with ABSA Bank in Nigeria. I was wondering if you received my last email. I sincerely seek to present you as the Next of Kin to a late client who left behind $45.5 Million US Dollars in a fixed deposit account in my bank. The British born client was into Oil exploration and died without a Next of Kin.
I will obtain the legal documents that will give you the legal right to make this claim legitimately. I am willing to share the funds 60/40 with you and this will be completed within 72 hours. With the legal documents, the bank will approve you as the Next of Kin and pay out this amount to you with within three working days.
Please reach me as soon as possible with your full name, address, direct contact number and occupation for the processing of the legal documents if you are interested and can be trusted to return my own share when you have received the funds in your account.
More information will be given to you once I hear back from you.
Regards
Kenneth Robertson
ABSA Bank, Nigeria
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Anti-fraud resources:
