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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:
- "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: "INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUNDS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <imf_monetaryfunds078@outlook.com>
Date: Sun, 22 Sep 2013 09:14:07 +0800
Subject: Attn: Internet User
This is to officially inform you that an ATM Card that worth?900,000.00 (Nine
Hundred British Pounds Sterlins) will be issued to you as a compensation payment
for you are short listed in 2008/2013 scam victims whose email address was
recovered during the internet probing and investigation process of apprehended
scammers.
Your email address was found among the list so we are in no doubt believed that
those syndicates must have collect money from you through their dubious criminal
ways.
It was on these very recommendation that the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
in conjunction with the United State Government after series of meeting held
came up with a sanction to all West African countries to surrender all recovered
fund/proceed from the sale of assets of convicted scammer under the Asset
Forfeiture and Proceeds of Crime Act for the compensation of Scam Victims to
restore the Global Economy to the enviable standard of respectability.
Please note that upon receipt of your response your ATM will processed and sent
to you with which you will use in withdrawing your money in any ATM machine in
any part of the world. You are kindly requested to contact Mrs Theresa Mayer,
Director in charge of the compensation payment at INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
SETTLEMENT CENTER UNITED KINGDOM with the below listed information on this email
address: imf_monetaryfunds078@outlook.com
With the below listed detail:
1. Full Name:
2. Phone Number:
3. Mailing Address:
4. Age and Sex:
5. Occupation:
6.Country:
Your immediate compliance to this will expedite actions on the delivery of the
ATM Card containing your compensation without delay as our office is mandated to
clear all transaction before the end of this quarter.
Thanks for your anticipated cooperation.
>From International Monetary Fund.
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Anti-fraud resources: