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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:
- "consignment " (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)
- "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)
- ",500,000" (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)
- 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.
- mrjeffbezos49@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Jeff Bezos" <fg713119@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrjeffbezos49@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2023 05:24:48 -0700
Subject: from Amazon Corporate Office Headquarters HQ 1200 12th Avenue South,
I'm Mr. Jeffrey Preston Bezos, the President and CEO of Amazon.
This is to inform you about your winning from Amazon in a Consignment
Box worth amount of ( $7.5 Million United States Dollars)
which was legitimately authorized and mandated free on Crime
and Anti-Drug Trafficking by the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime(UODC); you don't have to be worried.
Every necessary document has been obtained to enable a successful
delivery without any further delay.
We will monitor your delivery by ourselves to avoid any repetition of
some hopeless situation created by our previous paying Bank.
Confirm to me your below needed information here on my
email(mrjeffbezos49@gmail.com)
Full Name.........................
Country........................
Home address:...........................
Profession/occupation...........................
Your age .......................
Cell phone number:..........................
City:.....................
Valid Email Address.........................
Nearest airport.......................
Office in charge of your won $7,500,000.00 usd payment notification
from Amazon Corporate Office Headquarters HQ 1200 12th Avenue South,
Suite 1200 Seattle, WA 98144 USA.
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Anti-fraud resources:
