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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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- 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.
- jorgemorozcoo@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Jorge Martinez Orozco" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jorgemorozcoo@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 00:02:03 +0100
Subject: Re:My Warm Regards
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am confirming if you received my previous email regarding you having the same Surname with my late client? My name is Mr. Jorge Martinez Orozco and I am the chief director, bills and exchange at the foreign remittance department of a leading bank here in the Kingdom of Spain. I got your contact email address why on private search for a reliable and reputable person to handle a confidential Transaction. Firstly, I must solicit your consent and confidence in this transaction because it is of high magnitude; this is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential and top secret. But do not be apprehensive or worried as I am assuring you that this deal is real and 100% legitimate. Upon your response, I shall give you further details. Please contact me via my private email: jorgemorozcoo@gmail.com.
Warm Regards
Dir. Jorge Martinez Orozco
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Anti-fraud resources:
