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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:
- "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.
Fraud email example:
From: "GAMBO IDRIS" <gamboidris04@msn.com>
Reply-To: gambo_idris2000@yahoo.it
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 10:17:08 +0000
Subject: HONOURABLE CONTRACTOR
Director General:
Contract Verification & Payment Committee
Block E & F, suite 22 Ikoyi
Lagos Nigeria.
Our ref:fm/fsc/06/vol 11/cvpc
ATTN: HONOURABLE CONTRACTOR
RE: LONG OVER DUE CONTRACT PAYMENT TRANSFER ADVISE IN YOUR FAVOUR:
Sir,
I am a director with the Federal Ministry of Finance and was instructed by
the Hon Minister of Finance to find out before the end of this month, WHY
your contract/ claim of your part payment of $15.5 Million fund have not
been credited to your account.
However their is two gentlemen who came from your country to claim this
fund on your behalf and the reason giving to us is that you are the one who
send them that you are terminal sick and they provide account of Union Bank
of Swizterland for the payment to be made.
Union Bank of Swizterland
ACCT NO:210-029-769-8
SWIFT CODE:SCBLHKHH
SORT CODE:06100258
ABA NO:043900399
ACCT NAME:Swizterland GROUP LIMITED.
Kindly reconfirm your banking particulars to us and to know if you are the
one that send them, your telephone and fax numbers and your full name for
us to check with the one in our file.
Yours faithfully,
Mr.Gambo Idris.
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Anti-fraud resources: