|
|
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:
- "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)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Jim Anderson <jimandersonxyz@yahoo.de>
Reply-To: jimanderson111@aol.com
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:58:58 +0300
Subject: Attn: My Good Friend,
Attn: My Good Friend,
My name is Jim Anderson Director of Operations in charge of Diplomatic
Security Finance Company in London.
I am contacting you for your co-operations in claiming the sum of US10 Million
Dollars deposited in my company by one of our customers from Germany who died
recently in a plane crash in New York USA when he traveled to while on
Holidays .
The deceased customer Mr Andreas Schranner from Germany was a very successful
business man based in Europe he was dealing of Aircraft equipments and
accessories and on millennium automobiles of various kinds and a property
mogul before he died, he has offices in many parts of United kingdom
See the website :http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/859479.stm
Now we have searched all through the records of the deposit and
discovered that
he did not have any next of kin on his records who could come forward to make
this claim that being the case we cannot leave this funds UNCLAIMED to avoid
confiscating it by the United Kingdom Government if eventually no one comes up
to claim it that was frankly why I needed your full support and co-operations
in actualizing this risk free transaction because with my position as an
insider the process will be smooth and hitch free.
You can reply through our alternative e mail with the following information,
Your full names_____Your contact address _____Contact telephone
number_________Your Age_____Your Occupation .
Above information will enable us secure the necessary Court Clearance in your
favor as the beneficiary of this funds, this is without any risk.
Get back to me so that I will give you more details and clarifications on how
to get this concluded and ownership changed to your name without any risk at
all.
Thanks in anticipation for your willingness to co-operate in this risk free
transaction.
Jim Anderson
Director Operations
Diplomatic Security Finance Company
London - UK
----------------------------------------------------------------
This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.
|
Anti-fraud resources:
