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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million 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)
- 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.
- b.catherine48@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: eeee <cynthia_salomon@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 10:17:23 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: From: Mrs. Catherine Brown.
Hello,
From: Mrs. Catherine Brown.
Central Bank of West African
Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire).
In West Africa.
Dear friend,
This message might meet you in utmost surprise. However, it's just the urgent need for a foreign partner that made me to contact you for this transaction. I am Mrs. Catherine Brown. from Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire).
in west Africa. I got your e-mail contacts from website after my extensive search for capable person. I prayed and meditated fervently over it and i committed it into the hands of almighty that you should be the rightful person to help out before I made up my mind to contact you today.
I have the opportunity of transferring the left over fund
sum of $11.5million dollars into a foreign account and the said fund belongs to our deceased client from France. Hence, I am inviting you for a business deal where this money can be shared between us in the ratio of 60/40 if you agree to my business proposal.
Further details of the transfer will be forwarded to you as soon as I receive your return mail.Please Reply me only on this email;(b.catherine48@yahoo.fr)
Have a great day.
Thanks,
Sincerely,
Mrs. Catherine Brown.
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Anti-fraud resources: