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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)
- "hundred thousand 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 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.
- departmentoffice999@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Miss Anna Green" <sam@synergita.net>
Reply-To: crawfordeldon0@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2018 03:45:21 +0530
Subject: agreed to compensate you in your pass effort
Good Day The United Nations in cooperation with World Bank have agreed to
compensate you with the sum of One Million Two hundred Thousand US Dollars
($1.2 Million Dollars) after your name and email was submitted by the
Internet International Monitoring Group during the UNCC Conference Meeting
which was held this Month edition with UN Secretary General António
Guterres in Geneva Switzerland.
This payment Program is organized for charity organization/Scam victims
and development. Your e-mail appeared among the (40) beneficiaries for the
year 2017/2018 who will receive the sum of $1.2 Million Dollars Credited
to Online Bank ATM Card account that was set up for you in the Bank and it
has been approved for immediate delivery to you.
Your urgent response to this email will help facilitate the onward
delivery of your ATM card to you, Contact Delivery officer Mr. Larry Wayne
E-mail ( departmentoffice999@gmail.com ) Send to Him Your Full Name,
Address, Tel:No, And Ascan Copy Of You Identification .
Thanks, Sgt, Sherri Gallagher United Nations Liaison Office Directorat of
International Payment
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Anti-fraud resources:
