|
|
joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
|
|
"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:
- "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)
- "economic and financial crimes commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "(efcc)" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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: "Dr. Erastus Akingbola" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mddrerastusakingbola@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:28:20 -1200
Subject: Good Day!
Good Day!
I am Dr. Erastus Akingbola the former Managing director of Intercontinental Bank of Nigeria one of the leading banks in Nigeria. It is absolutely because of the urgency of the situation at hand that mandated me to write you this e-mail irrespective of the fact that you are a stranger to me and we have not met before.
Right now as I am writing this e-mail to you, I have just been sacked from office and I am passing through a serious probe from the Federal Government of Nigeria and the newly appointed governor of Central Bank of Nigeria Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi for an alleged misappropriation and mismanagement of bank funds. So far 3 of the 5 sacked Managing directors have been arrested and taken in for questioning by the members of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). I am presently hiding and on the run as I do not want to be arrested.
You can confirm this from this web-pages: http://allafrica.com/stories/200908190798.html
But no matter how long I run I know that very soon the hands of the law will catch up on me as all the airports and borders have been sealed by the authorities to prevent me from getting out of the country. The reason why I am contacting you now is because I have the sum of $50,000.000.00 (Fifty Million USD ) that I have secretly kept away and I want to immediately move the funds into your safe-custody so that you can safe-guard it for me because I fear that if I am arrested I might be prosecuted and sent to jail.
When you receive this money, I will be ready and willing to give you 20 million dollars out of the 50 million dollars and you will help me to invest my own 30 million dollars in your country.
Please get back to me immediately so that I can tell you how I will get this funds to you, also I will need your phone number and address.
Please I beg you to keep this e-mail and its contents very secret and if by any means you are not interested to help me, please I beg you to delete this e-mail and never to reveal its contents to any third party because of my security and safety.
Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.
Yours sincerely
Dr. Erastus Akingbola.
|
Anti-fraud resources:
