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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:
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "i will give you 35% " (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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Obrien Walls" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <obrienwallsconsultant@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:30:39 -0700
Subject: URGENT REPLY NEEDED UUNTZSFTSR
Greetings,
Permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with you. I got your contact from a computerize data online following my effort searching for a trustworthy person to assist me.
My Name is Mr. Obrien Walls a manager in the accounts department of one of the Private Wealth Management Banks here in South Africa. I am contacting you for a mutual beneficial business with belief that you will not disappoint me at last. I was compelled to contact you to present you to my bank as the next of kin/will beneficiary to my late client. Before his death, he has a bank balance with my bank to the tune of (USD$15.500, 000.00) Fifteen million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars.
A businessman and a German citizen, who died since 2000 in an air crash along with his family living no next of kin. You can confirm this from the website below. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/859479.stm Business is how secret you keep it. The Strategy is to use my influence as Accounts Managers of the deceased to facilitate the claim, processing, approval and transfer of the funds to you as I have all his documents and also have the capacity to get all other inheritance claim requirement as stipulated by my bank. I will give you 35% for your expected assistance and involvement as soon as the fund is confirmed into your account. This transaction is confidential and 100% risk free as such you should feel free about it. Reply me for further clarification if you are interested.
Regards.
Mr. Obrien Walls
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