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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr.Ajebor Tony" <ajebortony126@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2022 23:06:43 -0800
Subject: I NEED YOUR ASSITANCE.
My Dear Friend,
I am Mr.Ajebor Tony, a director in African Development Bank (ADB)
Ouagadougou Burkina Faso; I got your email information through the
Burkina's Chamber of Commerce and industry on foreign business
relations here in Ouagadougou Burkina Faso.
I haven't disclose this deal to anybody and I also hoped that you will
not expose or betray this trust and confident that I am about to
establish with you for the mutual benefit of you and I. I need your
urgent assistance in transferring the sum of ($15.500,000.00) millions
dollars into your bank account.
This money has been dormant for years in our bank without a claim due
to the owner of this fund who died along with his entire family and
supposed next of kin in an air crash. I want our bank to release these
funds to you as the nearest person to our deceased customer while I
come over to your country to share this fund with you as soon as you
confirm this fund into your account and ask me to come over.
I don't want the money to go into our bank treasure as an abandoned
fund. So this is why I contacted you so that our bank will release
this money to you as the nearest person to the deceased customer.
Please I would like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and
delete it if you are not interested.
Upon the receipt of your reply and indication of your capability, i
will give you full details on how the business will be executed and
also note that you will have 50% of the above mentioned sum if you
agree to handle this business with me while the remaining 50% will be
for me because i don't want anyone here in our bank to know my
involvement until you confirm this fund into your account and ask me
to come over for the sharing as i indicated.
If you agree to follow up this transaction with a full dedication and
willing to handle this transaction with me, do get back to me for more
details.
Thanks,
Mr.Ajebor Tony
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