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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Peter Sands" <personalcharlesattah@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 06:31:49 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: SPAM Urgent Response Needed


hola a todos Spam detection software, running on the system "ns.pannet.pa=
", has
identified this incoming email as possible spam. The original message
has been attached to this so you can view it (if it isn't spam) or label
similar future email. If you have any questions, see
webmail@pannet.pa for details.

Content preview: Standard Chartered Bank PLC, 1 Aldermanbury Square Lond=
on
EC2V 7SB private Line:+447024045595 Private Email: privatesandspetermy@=
yahoo.com.vn
Greetings... I got your contact email address through a personal searc=
h and
decided to let you know about this packaged financial transaction that=
will
benefit us. I am Mr Peter Sands, the Group Executive Director of the S=
tandard
Chartered Bank PLC Central London Branch On the course of the 2007 end=
of
the year's report, I discovered that my branch in which I am the Chief=
Auditor
had Thirty five Million Five Hundred Thousand G B Pounds (35,500.000.0=
0 GBP)
of which my head Office is not aware of and will never be aware of, I =
have
also PLACED this fund on ESCROW CALL ACCOUNT without a beneficiary. [.=
..]
=20

Content analysis details: (6.2 points, 5.0 required)

pts rule name description
---- ---------------------- ---------------------------------------------=
-----
-1.4 ALL_TRUSTED Passed through trusted hosts only via SMTP
2.1 TVD_PH_SUBJ_URGENT TVD_PH_SUBJ_URGENT
1.4 FORGED_YAHOO_RCVD 'From' yahoo.com does not match 'Received' he=
aders
0.7 URG_BIZ BODY: Contains urgent matter
2.0 ADVANCE_FEE_2 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419=
)
1.4 ADVANCE_FEE_3 Appears to be advance fee fraud (Nigerian 419=
)



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