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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:
- ",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.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +447012955352 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
- 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.
- contact.us.apple.uk@safe-mail.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: " Apple inc." <apple.uk@apple.com>
Reply-To: contact.us.apple.uk@Safe-mail.net
Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 19:03:41 +0200
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
This is to officially inform you that your email address has been
selected among the (10) lucky Email Addresses that won
£5,000,000.000GBP (Five Million Great British Pounds) in a promo that
was held yesterday in an automated email lottery in the 2013 Apple
inc. Promo.
Apple is the world's second largest information technology company and
the third largest mobile phone maker world wide, we always look for a
platform to reach out and give benefits to the apple and non apple
users as we strive to become the largest information technology
company in the world.
For Claims send the following details;
Full Name:
Mobile No:
Gender:
Country:
Occupation:
Regards,
Arthur D. Levinson (Chairman)
Email: contact.us.apple.uk@Safe-mail.net
Contact:+447012955352
Powered by Apple inc.
Copyright © 2013. All rights reserved.
Registration number: 470672
Registered at the Companies Registration Office, Ireland (UK)
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Anti-fraud resources:
