| 
 
 | 
joewein.de LLC 
fighting spam and scams on the Internet 
 | 
 | 
"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:
 -  "to your nominated bank account" (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 "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
 
 -  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. 
 -  pauledward202130@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
 
 
Fraud email example:
From: Michael Thomason <henshawdonald9@gmail.com> 
Reply-To: pauledward202130@gmail.com 
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2021 13:26:03 -0700 
Subject: RE: CONTACT NOW FOR YOUR FUNDS 
 
 Dear Good Friend. 
 
I am happy to inform you about my success in getting those funds 
transferred under the cooperation of a new partner from Indonesia. 
Presently I am in Indonesia for investment projects with my own share 
of the total sum. Meanwhile, I didnât forget your past efforts and 
attempts to assist me in transferring those funds despite the fact 
that it failed us somehow. Now contact my secretary in South Africa 
his name is Paul Edward 
 
Paul Edward 
Email: pauledward202130@gmail.com 
 
Contact him and ask him to send you the total of $920.000.00.{Nine 
Hundred And Twenty Thousand United States Dollars} which I kept for 
your past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter. I 
appreciated your efforts at that time very much. So feel free and get 
in touch with my Secretary Paul Edward and instruct him where to send 
the amount to you. Please do let me know immediately you receive it so 
that we can share the joy after all the suffering at that time. Do 
send to Paul Edward, your contact details as stated below: 
 
Your Full Namesâ¦..................................... 
Your Addressâ¦.......................................... 
Cell Phone Numberâ¦............................... 
Your occupation......................................... 
Your Age and Sex...................................... 
 
To enable him to submit your details to my paying bank the Ned Bank 
South Africa to wire your compensation money to your nominated bank 
account/Bank Check or they can send to you an authorized bank atm 
master card to your address for you to withdraw the money from any 
bank atm machine in your country. 
 
In the moment, I am very busy here because of the investment projects 
which me and the new partner are having at hand, finally, remember 
that I had forwarded instruction to my secretary on your behalf to 
receive that money, so feel free to get in touch with Paul Edward he 
will send the amount to you without any delay. 
 
Thanks and God bless you. 
Michael Thomason 
 
 | 
Anti-fraud resources: