|
|
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:
- "huge amount of money" (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)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- This email message is a orphan scam.
- 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.
- miss_merit_2000@hotmail.fr (Hotmail, France; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Merit Bilin <miss_merit_01@savonainc.net>
Reply-To: miss_merit_2000@hotmail.fr
Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:18:44 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: From Miss Merit Bilin
>From Miss Merit Bilin
Abidjan-Cote d'lvoire
West Africa.
Hello,
Permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with you as your profile pushed me to have confident in you and i know that you will not let me down.
I am miss Merit Bilin the only daughter of late Mr and Mrs Butler Bilin,my father was a very wealthy gold and diamond merchant in Abidjan ,the economic capital of lvory coast before he was piosoned to death by his business associates on one of their outing to discuss on a business deal.
I lost my dearly beloved mother when i was 6 years old and since then i was the only comfort to my father.
My late father left for me the sum of $1,500.000 million in a suspence account in a local bank here in Abidjan which he used my name as his only child for the next of kin in deposit of the fund.
Before he died he also explained to me that it was because of this wealth and some huge amount
of money his business associates supposed to balance him from the deal they had that he was piosoned by his business associates, that i should seek for a God fearing foreign partner in a country of my choice where i will transfer this money and use it for investment purpose.
He also adviced me to be kind to the less previlledged people.
I am honourably seeking your assistance in the following ways.
1) To provide a bank account where this money would be transferred to.
2) To serve as the guardian of this fund since i am a girl of 22 years.
3) Assist me to join you over there as i have no plan of settling down here any longer.
Moreover, i am willing to offer you 20% of the sum as compensation for effort input after the successful transfer of this fund to your designate account overseas.
Anticipating to hear from you as soon as possible through my private email :
miss_merit_2000@hotmail.fr
Thanks and God bless you.
Merit Bilin.
|
Anti-fraud resources:
