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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:
- "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
- "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)
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
- They don't notify winners by email.
- You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
- They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
- They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
- They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
- They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
- They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
- 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.
- 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.
- drfredwillson@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "shellemailwinner@shell.com" <zm924zfpho@testzimbra.com>
Reply-To: "shellemailwinner@shell.com" <shellclaimsagent08@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:59:13 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: YOUR EMAIL WON.
SHELL
INTERNATIONAL LTD,
SHELL
FOUNDATION
ABUJA SE1
7NA
NIGERIA.
Date:
24/09/2008
Ref:
105B0439401
Batch:7056490934/2008
Winning no:
GB8701/LPRC
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO INFORM YOU
OF YOUR PRIZE RELEASE ON THE
24/09/2008
FROM THE Shell oil International
Lottery Programs,your email won GBP800,000.00 ( Eight Hundred Thousand Great Britain Pounds Starlings) in
cash credit file . The lottery was conducted by Microsoft with their email electronic ballot
system.
HOW TO CLAIM PRIZE: CONTACT
YOUR ASSIGNED FIDUCIARY CLAIMS AGENT WITH THE INFORMATIONS
BELOW:
NAME: FRED
WILLSON(Dr.)
EMAIL:drfredwillson@yahoo.com
CONTACT
NUMBER: +234-7023614195
WINNER'S
PERSONAL DATA
Full Name.:.....Gender/Age
...........
Nationality.: .....Occupation.:
....
Address/City.:....Mobile phone No./House Phone No.:
......
BANK INFORMATION
FOR TRANSFER OF PRIZE
BANK
NAME......./BANK ADDRESS.:...............
BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER.:
.....................
Regards.
Sir Allan
Buffet
Grants
Co-ordinator.
Anti-fraud resources:
