|
|
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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "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)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- gbarrimikebilly@yahoo.com.hk (Yahoo, Hong Kong; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
- 我有新的電郵地址【吧現可電郵給我︹barrimikebilly@yahoo.com.hk - dear friend, please i apologise for sending you an email. i believe you (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: =?big5?q?BARRISTER=20MIKE=20BILLY?= <barrimikebilly@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: barris_mikebilly@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 07:35:06 +0800 (HKT)
Subject: URGENT PROPOSAL !!!
§Ú¦³·sªº¹q¶l¦a§}¡I§A²{¥i¹q¶lµ¹§Ú¡Gbarrimikebilly@yahoo.com.hk
- Dear Friend, Please i apologise for sending you an email. I believe you are a highly respected personality, i sourced your profile from a human resource profile database of your country and i decided to contact you for an urgent proposal that will benefit both of us. I am Barrister Mike Billy by name, i am the personal attorney to late Mr Steven Harris a foreign investor who died in a car accident in Thailand on the 22nd of August 2006. Without prolonging issue, my reason of contacting you is to assist me in repartrating US$ 25,000,000.00 ( Twenty Five Million Dollars) fund left behind by the deceased with a Bank here in Thailand before his death so that we can share the fund together and be happy together. Please kindly get back to me on this email: barris_mikebilly@yahoo.com.hk for more details.I urgently await to receive your response. Thanks and GOD bless you.
|
Anti-fraud resources:
