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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:
- "million pounds" (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)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Terry Grant" <g.terry4538@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: g.terry40@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:47:24 -0800 (AKDT)
Subject: COLLABORATION FOR FINANCIAL BENEFIT
Hello and good day !!
I am in a privilege position to make both of us benefit and share the sum
of 15.5 Million Pounds from a UK-based bank where I am a staff.I need a
very trustworthy,sincere and reliable foreign partner to collaborate with
me.Be assured that due process shall be followed to procure legal
documents to back up this transaction.The total sum of 15.5 million pounds
will be transfered from an account belonging to a late customer who died
with his entire immediate family,including his next-of-kin,in a plane
crash in year 2000 in the New York bound AIR FRANCE concord plane
crash.For more information and pictorial details regarding the crash
please visit :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm.
Since I have been unsuccessful in locating any other relatives up to this
moment, I am contacting you to assist and collaborate with me in
repatriating all the money left behind by late property magnate.I have
reasoned very professionally and I feel it will be legally possible to use
my position to manipulate to make you the next-of-kin.This is achievable
if you allow me to present you (as the next-of-kin to the deceased) to the
management of the branch of bank so that the proceeds of the account can
be processed in your name and subsequently be paid to you.But all I
require from you is your honest co-operation to enable us see this
business through.Trust me, as the account officer to the deceased I hereby
assure you that all modalities have been properly worked out and I propose
we share the proceeds in the ratio of 60% to me and 40% to you.
All I require from you to commence the immediate process are just the
following : (1) Full names (2) Contact address (3) Phone & fax numbers (4)
your profile.
Awaiting your response to enable me give you more details & procedures to
be adopted.
Very Sincerely
Terry Grant.
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