|
|
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:
- "offshore account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "HBuhari" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <hbuhari_02@gala.net>
Date: Fri, 21 May 2010 23:16:07 +0100
Subject: CAN I SINCERELY TRUST YOU PLEASE?
Dear partner,
May i confide in you? If yes, please i do have reason for both of us to
enshrine total trust and confidence in my quest for you to be my foreign
benefactor.
Honestly I want you to keep a part payment of my 10% contract commission bill
from contractors whose 100% claims had been paid accordingly
remaining my 10% which the firms agreed to compensate me with; for shortlisting
and approving their contract biddings.
The money is just my gratification and presently in our offshore account in Europe.
But Can i trust you to receive and keep this money for me? Here in my country,
civil servants are precluded from operating foreign account which implies
that this my 10% must be paid to a trusted and faithful partner overseas.
I will give you a reasonable compensation as your share if you will not
betray me. Then i can tell you what to do fast.
Please treat as most urgent and confidential. I wait your kind opinion on this.
This is free and legitimate but unofficially my personal gratification.
Yours sincerely,
HARUNA BUHARI
|
Anti-fraud resources:
