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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:
- "huge amount of money" (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)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- oluaks991@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: olumide akinsanya <oluaks991@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2021 05:47:19 -0800
Subject: 35%
I am Mr Olumide Akinsanya from Cotonou a french country here in west
Africa I am contacting you for assistance how to help me to invest
my late boss' fund from USA that died in a fire accident at our
office in aflao in Togo that was kept with the security vault sum of
$20.5MILLION USD cash contained in the box here in Cotonou west
Africa and have intention to invest in your country with this money
for profitable investment and real estate housing business over
there,I will offer you 35% from this total money for your
concern to be the beneficiary of the money and for your
time to arrive to cotonou as owner because why i contact you is that i
need to invest in your country with this huge amount of money if you
are interested the following details will be
needed. I will need your full particular information with
your scan passport for securing the BENEFICIARY ID CARD to
submit on your behalf to the security vault as the real
owner of the box of the money in their custody before your
arrival to Cotonou to meet me face to face for final transaction
I will be very glad if you keep this transaction highly confidential
awaiting your quick reply to oluaks991@gmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
