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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:
- "million 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)
- "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 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.
- mahahmedmud@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "david" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mahahmedmud@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2017 12:19:01 -0800
Subject: Please get back to me
I Mr.Mahmud Ahmed from Syria.I in IRAQ at the moment is a political refugee because of the recent problems of my country. I have a large sum of money (four million dollars) with EMBASSY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN MALAYSIA and I need your urgent help to quickly transfer this money from the EMBASSY OF THE RUSSIAN today to choose the name your investment in MALAYSIA to avoid any questions concerning the source, as I had that enterprises in developing higher and higher every year. That is the only thing left for me now and I want to start a new life with it. This transaction requires immediate attention because the current political situation in my country (Syria) and I do not want to lose this money in EMBASSY OF THE RUSSIAN .
That is a large sum of money and I'm ready to give you 40% of the money to stand as the beneficiary, and move money to invest. I believe you can help me, if you are interested and able to handle this for me in all honesty without any betrayal of trust that I will impose on you then contact me for more details.Please note that this transaction is confidential and must be kept top secret until we have completed the move money about.Please reply with this email mahahmedmud@gmail.com
Thank you very much for your understanding.
Thank you,
Mr.Mahmud Ahmed.
Please reply with this email mahahmedmud@gmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
