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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:
- 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:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "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)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
- 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.
- adm.smth126@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Mrs Rose Samuel <mrsrosesamuel@gmail.com>
Reply-To: om250752@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 2021 04:52:35 -0700
Subject: Thanks and God bless you.
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 India.
Presently I am in India for investment projects with my own share of
the total sum. Meanwhile, I didn’t forget you’re past efforts and
attempts to assist me in transferring those funds despite that it
failed us some how. Now contact my lawyer in Benin Republic his name
is Barrister Adam Smith.
Barrister Adam Smith.
Email:adm.smth126@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 touched with my lawyer 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 sufferness at that time. Do send to Adam
Smith, your contact details.
Your Full Names…...........................................
You’re Address…..............................................
Cell Phone Number…........................................
Your occupation................................................
Your Age….....................................................
To enable him submit your details to my paying bank the Need Bank in
Benin Republic to wire your compensation money to your nominated bank
account/western Union or they can send to you an authorized bank ATM
VISA 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 lawyer on your behalf to
receive that money, so feel free to get in touch with him and he will
send the amount to you with out any delay.
Thanks and God bless you.
Regards
Mrs Rose Samuel
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