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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:
- 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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "into your nominated bank account" (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)
- "to your nominated bank account" (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)
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- "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: "CHIEF ACCOUNTANT GENERAL" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <accntantgenn.ji@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:48:14 -0800
Subject: YOUR COMPENSATION PAYMENT OF US$500,000.00.
FROM THE DESK OF
DR. JAMES OBI
CHIEF ACCOUNTANT GENERAL,
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.
The United Nations Compensation Payment Unit, in affiliation with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
RE: IMMEDIATE COMPENSATION PAYMENT NOTIFICATION /FINAL NOTICE.
We refer to your Contract Compensation Payment Form "Grade A" approval received from the United Nations in affiliation with
the Central Bank of Nigeria on the above subject; we wish to inform you that your contract payment file under reference has
been approved for immediate payment to your nominated bank account or dispatched to you via Atm Card Mode, immediately after
final endorsement of your Fund Release Order Document. We hereby approve your compensation fund for the remittance of this
payment (Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only) into your nominated bank account. You are therefore
advised to provide the following information:
1) Your Full Name:
2) Phone and Mobile:
3) Residential Address:
4) Profession:
5) Copy of your Id
for more directives.
Lastly you are warned to disregard other contact with other offices or Banks unless as being Directed by this Office, We are
very sorry for the plight you have gone through in the past.
Thanks for adhering to these instructions.
Congratulations!
Best Regards.
DR. JAMES OBI
CHIEF ACCOUNTANT GENERAL,
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.
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