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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "economic and financial crime commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "(efcc)" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- 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.
- mrfredrickwilliams64@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "MR FREDRICK WILLIAMS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrfredrickwilliams64@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:52:30 -0800
Subject: DID YOU AUTHORIZE THIS MAN
ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIME COMMISSION
14A AWOLOWO LANE, IKOYI
LAGOS NIGERIA.
Motto: No Body is Above the LAW
FROM THE DESK OF Mr Fredrick Williams (Payment Officer) ECONOMIC &
FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC).
(RE: BE CAREFUL OF HOODLUMS)
Attn
We are writing to know if it's true that you are DEAD? Because we received a notification from one MR. GERSHON SHAPIRO of USA stating that you are DEAD and that you have giving him the right to claim your funds. He stated you died in a CAR accident. He has been calling us regarding this issue, but we cannot proceed with him until
we confirm the truth.
Be advised that we have made all arrangements for you to receive and confirm your funds without any more stress, and without any further delay.
All we need to confirm now is you being DEAD Or still Alive. Because this MAN'S message brought shock to our minds. And we just can't proceed with him until we confirm if this is a reality OR not But if it happened we did not hear from you, then we say: MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN PERFECT PEACE"
YOUR JOY AND SUCCESS REMAINS OUR GOAL.
Reply to this email: mrfredrickwilliams64@yahoo.com.hk
Your Faitfully,
Mr Fredrick Williams (Payment Officer) Economic And Financial
Crime Commission(EFCC)
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Anti-fraud resources: