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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:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "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)
- "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr.Patrick Joseph" <mrpatrickjo08@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2021 23:47:06 -0700
Subject: Greetings....
Greetings....
Hello,
I am Mr. Patrick Joseph, a banker by profession from Burkina Faso. I
have a very confidential business proposition involving transfer of
Eighteen Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollar Only $18. 500,000.00
United State Dollars that will be of great benefit to both of us.
After you have been made the next of kin of the fund and the
transferring of the funds to your foreign account of yours in your
country or any place in the world. We shall share in the ratio 55% for
me, 40% for you and 5% will be used to pay back expenses incurred from
both ends in the process of the transfer to your account.
Best Regards
Mr. Patrick Joseph.
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