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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)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- af.developmentbank@accountant.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Thomas Johnson <ttoms10@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: Thomas Johnson <af.developmentbank@accountant.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2018 11:04:32 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Dear Sir/ Madam
Dear Sir/ Madam
My name is Thomas Johnson from African Development Bank South-Africa; I got your Email ID from files of our late client Mr. Williams Bush American citizen one of South Africa Government road contractor who collapsed and died since seven years ago in our Bank hall while he was depositing money into his account, then since past seven years nobody has come up for the claim of his USD$28.5million Dollars.
I decided to contact the email ID which is in his files to see if anyone can respond to it as his relatives to inherit the funds because from the files he left no name as Next Of Kin before he collapsed.
As the Management of our bank has instructed me to seek for his relatives or the funds will be transfer into the Government Treasury Account as unclaimed funds, If you are available to the email ID contact me only on this second email here so that I can respond to you fast as possible :> ( af.developmentbank@accountant.com ) to enable us to proceed and transfer the funds across to you as the beneficiary of the fund,
I look forward to hear from you.
Best Regard
Thomas Johnson
Accountant of African Development Bank
Johannesburg
South Africa
+27785175185
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Anti-fraud resources:
