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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)
- "atm card department" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
- ",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)
- "here in united kingdom" (this email uses bad English)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- mesharon101@yahoo.co.uk (Yahoo, United Kingdom; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Vanessa Johnson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sharonmelissa13@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:11:52 +0800
Subject: Re.Atm Notification
>From the Desk of Vanessa Johnson
Director ATM CARD Department of
Standard Chartered Bank Plc. (U.K).
Alderman-bury Branch office.
This is to Officially inform you that it has come to our notice and we have thoroughly completed an Investigation with the help of our Intelligence Monitoring Network System that your ATM-CARD of $1,000,000.00 is currently with the Standard Chartered Bank Plc. (U.K). Your name appeared in our system here as one of the beneficiary to be paid.
We have ordered the Federal Government here in United Kingdom to contact the Standard Chartered Bank Plc. (U.K) and other firms to release the bank draft and Atm cards to you because there are too many complains/Rip Off Report coming to the desk of Federal Bureau Of Investigation that people are not getting their Instrument to cash their funds and gratuity, e.g people are not getting their Bank Draft and Atm Cards due to the fact that people are not meeting up with the required demands and amount require of fees that are too much for people to handle or pay.
Wehave completed this investigation and we have verified the entire transaction to be Safe and 100% risk free, due to the fact that we have been assured that your ATM CARD will be delivered to you once your Full Name and Address is confirmed.
Therefore, you are instructed to contact the Standard Chartered Bank Plc. (U.K) with the Information below:
Full Name: Miss Melissa Sharon
Valid Contact: mesharon101@yahoo.co.uk
You will be required to e-mail her with your information such as follows:
FULL NAME:
ADDRESS:
OCCUPATION:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
DIRECT CONTACT NUMBER:
Regards.
Vanessa Johnson.
Standard Chartered Bank Plc. (U.K)
NOTE: In order to ensure your ATM-CARDS gets delivered to you ASAP, you are advised to immediately contact Miss Melissa Sharon via contact information provided above.
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