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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:
- "million united state dollars" (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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Kristalina Georgieva" <faro@wat-berlin.de>
Reply-To: tobiasan@firemail.de
Date: Mon, 23 May 2022 20:07:02 +0200
Subject: Your Urgent Response
DearSir/Ma
The IMF is providing financial assistance and debt service relief to member countries / individual facing the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This page provides an overview of assistance approved by the IMF’s Executive Board since late March 2020 under its various lending facilities and debt service relief financed by the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT). Your name appear to be apataker of this oportunity, the IMF is currently given $5.5million, a quarter of its lending capacity, available to luck winners.
As part of the COVID19-related rapid arrangements, borrowing countries/individual have committed to undertake governance measures to promote accountable and transparent use of these resources. You advice to contact IMF Financial Counsellor and Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department Tobias Adrian via Email: tobiasan1@indamail.hu and claim your $5.5million united state dollars.
Best regards
Kristalina Georgieva
Imf Secretary Washington district
United States of America
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Anti-fraud resources:
