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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- ",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)
- "00,000.00" (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.
Fraud email example:
From: "KIN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ipayment314@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2020 22:13:09 -0800
Subject: NEXT OF KIN
Hello .
Greetings. My name is John D. I work with Guaranty Trust Bank Ghana., West Africa. My purpose of contacting you is that On the 15th of March 2007 one Mr. Felix. A crude oil dealer and a citizen of your country made a fixed deposit $4,500,000.00 (Four Million Five hundred US Dollars)with our bank. Sadly Mr Felix was among the death victims in the 2008 deadly earthquake in Sichuan China and left nobody to claim his deposited fund. He was in China on a business trip and that was how he met his end. Mr Felix has no any Next of Kin or any body to claim his money which is in our bank, Our Bank Director is about to declare the money UN-claim fund which means Bank Managers has the right to close his account then share the money once the confirm that Mr. Felix is dead with no next of kin or relative to claim his money. I am Mr. Felix accountant and I will love to present you to the bank as next of Kin to Mr. Felix and let it remain secret between me and you until bank transfer the money into your account. We share
I wait for your positive response.
Regards
Mr. John D
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Anti-fraud resources:
