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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 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.
- bofa.tnguyen@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Internal Revenue Service" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <cvincenzo.irs@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Dec 2018 22:50:27 -0800
Subject: Payment Approved
Hello Beneficiary,
I am pleased to inform you that your total fund valued $11.5 Million Dollars which has been long overdue have been approved for immediate release to you through Bank of America where it is held presently. You are advised to contact them immediately with the details below to have your fund release and transferred to you:
Contact Person: Thong M. Nguyen
President-Retail Banking & Head-Consumer Banking
Tel: +1 720 721-4738
Email: bofa.tnguyen@gmail.com.
Contact them for more details on what needs to be done to have your fund released to your account, I advise you call them on the telephone number provided after sending them an email so they can attend to you urgently because the fund would be confiscated if not released between now and Friday.
Do keep us updated when you have received your fund and once again, we say congratulations.
Sincerely,
Vincenzo Alonso.
Internal Revenue Service.
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Anti-fraud resources:
