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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 states 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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "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)
- "my names are " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Jim Yang <peacemadueke20@gmail.com>
Reply-To: jimy14266@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2022 21:38:59 +0100
Subject: GREETINGS FROM JIM
I am writing to you from China Citic Bank
International, Hong Kong to seek your help in something that will be
beneficial to both of us. I am from China, my names are Jim Su Yang i
live and work here in China as a senior banker and I served as the
last branch manager of my bank. Due to operational issues, our bank
has closed its banking services here in Hong Kong and we have long
advised our customers to withdraw their deposits to avoid its
forfeiture to the Treasury Department. There is a sum of four million
United States dollars (USD 4,000,000.00) that has not been withdrawn by
our customer (Ms. Nazly Siregar) who is now dead. According to our
bank records, Ms. Nazly Siregar was from Indonesia and she did not put
any beneficiary at the time she made the deposit. All I want you to do
is to cooperate with me so you can apply as the beneficiary of the
deposit and claim the money from our bank. please get back to me
immediately
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Anti-fraud resources:
