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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:
- "please indicate your interest" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- ",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: "Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jcjdesk@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2021 15:43:16 -0700
Subject: Re: We expect your urgent response.
Greetings,
You Are Receiving This Email In Respect Of Your Unclaimed US$7,500,000.00 (Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollar) that Was Held By The African Authorities For Over Four(4) Years. We Have Been Instructed By The Concerned Authorities To Have Your Fund Release Process Completed Otherwise The Fund Will Be Declared Confiscated. That Is Why I Have Decided To Contact You To Know The Reason Why You Haven't Claimed Your Fund. We Are Ready And Willing To Work With You And Give You Guidelines On How To Effectively Receive Your Fund Without Difficulties. It Is Understandable That You Might Be A Little Bit Apprehensive But Trust Me; You Must Receive Your Fund If You Follow The Given Instructions. Everything Concerning This Transaction Shall Be Carried Out Legally So There's Nothing To Worry About.
If You Are Ready To Claim Your Overdue Payment, Please Indicate Your Interest For Us To Proceed With Our Arrangements. Phone Number to call is +1 (202) 618 7480
Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
U.S. Department of
Homeland Security,
Washington DC
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https://www.avast.com/antivirus
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Anti-fraud resources:
