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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.
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- wagnercraig909@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Craig Wagner <daramu@tropmet.res.in>
Reply-To: Craig Wagner <wagnercraig63@outlook.com>
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2024 01:40:28 +0530 (IST)
Subject: Business Proposal
Hello
I hope that this email finds you and your family in good health. We are
unfamiliar, but it takes a day for people to get to know each other. I
want to propose a legitimate business to you and please take this
seriously. I am proposing a deal that will make us richer and you are
critical to this deal as you will find out. I am a Senior Accountant
with WesBanco. I have worked here for a little more than 12 years
now in a vital position at my bank. I was the personal accountant
of one Engineer (Nicolas Otto), a Corporation contractor with an
investment account with my bank.
Unfortunately, my client died along with his nuclear family in France
while on a family vacation in the summer of 2008, may their soul rest in
peace. He died without leaving a will. Several efforts were made to find
his extended family through your embassy. I received a notice last week
to provide the next of kin of being his accountant or the account risk
being transferred to the government (es-cheat) in 21 days. I am
contacting you to assist me in repatriating the funds left behind by my
late client.
Contact me at wagnercraig909@gmail.com if you are interested.
If you are not interested, please delete this message and you will never
hear from me again.
God bless you.
Best Regards
Craig Wagner
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Anti-fraud resources:
