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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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +447024029624 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
Fraud email example:
From: "Vladislav. M" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <vladislav.m01@globomail.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:50:01 +0100
Subject: Require Your Partnership For Investment.
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am Mr. Vladislav and I got your contact in my search for a reliable partner and after due considerations,I decided to contact you for discussion.
Due to the political and economic down turn in my country which led to the arrest and imprisonment of my boss,I am forced to seek for a foreign business partner who can assist release some funds belonging to my boss held in our company offshore bank account.
You will be required to:
1. Receive the Investment funds in your name as the beneficiary from our company offshore bank account.
2. Place these huge funds into profitable investment ventures in your country.
3. Seek investment ventures with an annual Return on Investment (ROI) between 5% to 10%.
4. Invest and manage the said funds for a minimum of five (5) years.
Absolute confidentiality is required on your part in handling this transaction and subsequent investments.
I look forward to your swift response after which more details would be communicated to you.
Happy Holidays.
Sincerely.
Mr. Vladislav. M
Mobile Number: +44-70-24029624
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Anti-fraud resources: