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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- ",500,000" (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.
- andykijo.office09@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Andy Kijo" (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 24 May 2019 15:04:52 +0100
Subject: Dear friend
Dear friend
My name is Andy Kijo I work with one of the leading Bank here in South
Africa. I would need your consent to present you as the next of kin to
our late customer who died of heart attack in 2016. He was a wealthy
business man who deposited the sum of $15,500,000 (Fifteen Million
Five hundred thousand United States Dollars) in our Bank. He died
without any registered next of kin as he was long divorced and had no
child. I was his account officer and have in my possession all the
documents required to present you as his beneficiary next of kin. We
can work together to claim this fund. Please listen, this is real and
goes on in Banks all over the world without people knowing. Let us
utilize this opportunity because it does not come always. A lot of
customers open private accounts with different Banks without the
knowledge of their families and when they die, such money will be lost
to the Bank unless someone comes to claim it. This is how a lot of
Bank Directors make so much money silently.
On your confirmation of this message and indicating your interest, I
will furnish you with more details. Please endeavor to provide me with
the following so that we can discuss in details.
1)mobile phone numbers
2)full name
3)contact address and occupation
I urgently hope to get your response as soon as possible.
Regards,
Andy Kijo
Reply to: andykijo.office09@gmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
