|
|
joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
|
|
"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:
- ",000,000" (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.
Fraud email example:
From: "Abdul Qadeer Fitrat" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ash1mail@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2012 02:09:40 -0700
Subject: RE: Please read and understand my plead...
Hello,
Please read and understand my plead...
My name is Abdul Qadeer Fitrat. I am currently working as Afghan Central Bank Governor, working as part of a large team that covers the entire Afghan E87;;Zegion. I have taken my time to contact you through personal endeavors.
I am facing scandal with my government concerning my 3 star hotel build in United Arab Emirate. My hotel is under investigation which i will lose but i am having secret account that i deposited $60,000,000.00 Million which i will like to place with a trusted company.
Please forgive me for contacting you this way but i am not contacting you if you can invest these funds but if you can find a company to manage these funds so we can have good returns secretly, you will be having 10% in the investment if you can get me a company.
If you have a trusted company please introduce to me so that i can discuss and call on my bank officer to transfer funds to the company account.
Please inform the company that they will be having 40% and 50% for me and 10% for you.
If you can help please reply soon and please note this communication should be kept secretly.
God bless.
Yours faithfully,
Abdul Qadeer Fitrat
|
Anti-fraud resources:
