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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:
- "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)
- 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.
- jamescostos31@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Fred Johnson" <kahoali631@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrjamescostos31@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2022 17:00:21 -0700
Subject: Attention
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This is to inform you that the International Monetary Fund [IMF] and
the United Nation [UN] are compensating all the scammed victims with
the total sum of $20,300,000.00 United States Dollars. Your name and
email address were mentioned to the United States Secret Service by
one of the Scammers who were arrested.
Meanwhile this compensation department has been mandated by the IMF
and the United Nations to transfer your compensation funds to you via
online transfer payment which is a 100% Guarantee for payment to you
as one of the scammed victims.
In addition, we recommend that you stop contacting any other person or
office regarding any transaction where you may have lost your
hardÂ-earned money to avoid losing more money to other scam group that
are on the wanted list by the FBI and are still on the run. For this
reason we want to warn you not to communicate or duplicate this
message to anyone for any reason since the United States Secret
Service is already tracking the other criminals.
You are hereby encouraged to contact me with your information below
1. Full name.....
2. Email address......
3. Phone number.....
4. Age.....
5. Occupation......
6. Home address.....
To the office of the general to receive your Compensation without
further delay at this email address (jamescostos31@gmail.com)
Anticipating your urgent cooperation to receive your payment.
Thank You.
Regards
Attorney James Costos
Supreme court of United State
1FIRST ST NE WASHINGTON DC 20543
USA
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Anti-fraud resources:
