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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:
- "the consignment" (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)
- "consignment " (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)
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
Fraud email example:
From: "Detective Alessandro Signorino" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <alt.gp-91dcpmi@yopmail.com>
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2021 06:25:38 -0700
Subject: Are You Aware Of This/ Get Back To Me.
Hello Owner,
ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS? GET BACK TO ME AFTER GOING THROUGH THIS MESSAGE.
I am detective Alessandro Signorino, Chief Airport Security Agency.
I hereby wish to inform you that we have recovered your inheritance payment/consignment (box) from a criminal who is trying to redirect the delivery of your consignment to another address which is totally different from yours.
This criminal stated that you gave him POWER OF ATTORNEY To Change the delivery address to Charity Home because you are infected by CoronaVirus Pandemic and you cannot survive it, but as Detective I am, it written all over him that he is diverting the delivery of your consignment without your permission and we decided to contact you and confirm from you if you permitted him to redirect the delivery of your consignment or not before we can release him with your consignment.
Please are you aware of changing the delivery of your consignment (box) to another destination?
NOTE: this consignment (box) retrieved from the criminal during our last routine inspection and suspected to be banking instruments worth millions of United States Dollar notes in cash as indicated on the consignment papers.
Reply immediately we want to know if you authorized him to change the delivery of your consignment/box to another destination or not.
Get back to me.
Yours in service,
Detective Alessandro Signorino,
Chief Airport Security Agency.
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Anti-fraud resources:
