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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.
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Keith Allen McLamb" <angel@cosmonova.net.ua>
Reply-To: keithallen.jr@hotmail.com
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2019 09:39:01 +0200
Subject: RE:APPOINTMENT PROPOSAL
Good day,
I am Mr. Keith Allen McLamb Jr.. I have emailed you earlier on without any
response from you. I am among the Advisory Panel that was mandated to
advise the Bank on external and internal audit control systems of the Bank,
hence I have decided to contact you to stand of the next of kin to the
deceased customer to enable us receive his deposit as inheritance for
investment amounted to US$14.5 Million only.
On my first email I mentioned about my late client whose relatives I cannot
get in touch with. But both of you have the same last name so it will be
very easy to front you as his official next of kin. I am compelled to do
this because I would not want the finance house to push my client??s funds
into their treasury as unclaimed inheritance.
If you are interested you do let me know so that I can give you
Comprehensive details on what we are to do..
Best regards,
Keith Allen McLamb Jr.
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Anti-fraud resources:
