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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:
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Lawrence Philip <lawrence_philip003@healse.com>
Reply-To: lawrencephilip10@hotmail.fr
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2010 05:34:35 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: =?utf-8?B?RlJPTSBMQVdSRU5DRSBQSElMSVDigI8=?=
Hello Friend,
I wish to request your ardent attention to this very important message. Permit me therefore to intimate you about my intention of contacting you through this medium. I am an attorney at law and the principal partner of a law firm Togo. I hereby wish to inform you about the sudden death of my late client he was the chief Engineering Military Unit in Luanda-Angola when he was alive as a foreign employee of this ministry of many tenure to his advantage, he was quite wealthy, both in assets as he was also involved into government contracts until his unfortunate demise. Permit therefore as his personal aide to inform you about a cash balance deposit of total sum of ($17 million USD dollars) that he deposited in commercial bank here in Togo before that unfortunate occurrence. I hereby solicit for your assistance to stand as a business associate and next of kin to this effect.
I need your HELP and PATNERSHIP on an urgent transaction.
Take note that I am in perfect possessions of all the required items of this bank account and all other relevant documentations of his assets that will perfect the successful execution of this covenant. Upon your unbiased and speedy response to this call, I will inform you with all the required/necessary details with the modes of the execution of this deal. I await your urgent response; forward me your legal info below,
Your Full Name.
Your Current Contact Address.
Your Private Cell/Telephone Number
Your Fax Number.
Your Occupation.
Your Current email address
Sincerely,
Barr. Lawrence Philip
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