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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.
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Xian Soh" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <xiansoh@mail.mn>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 18:17:50 +0800
Subject: VERY URGENT
Greetings,
l will like you to understand that this
is no SPAM message. Your attention to this message will change your life. I NEED JUST YOUR CO-OPERATION.
I am Mr. Xian Soh, Director allocation department of GUARANTY BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, England. My office monitors and
controls the affairs of all financial banking concerned with foreign claim payments. I am the final signatory to any
transfer or remittance of huge funds moving within our bank both on the local and international levels in line with
foreign claim settlement. I have before me list of funds which could not be transferred to some nominated accounts
as these accounts have been identified either as ghost accounts unclaimed deposits and over-invoiced sum etc.
0n this note I wish to have a deal with you as regards to an unpaid fund. I have a file before me and the data are correct
and un-tampered. As it is my duty to recommend the transfer of these surplus
funds to the Federal Government Treasury and Reserve Accounts as unclaimed deposits. I have the opportunity to write
you based on the instructions i received two days ago from the Foreign Debts Reconciliation Department to submit the
list of payment reports / expenditures and audited reports of revenues. Among several others, i have decided to remit a
fund claim to you following my idea that we can have a deal/agreement and i am going to do this legally.
My conditions:
(1). The sum of USD$4.7M only will be
transferred into your account after the
processing of all relevant legal
documents with your name as the bonafide
beneficiary. The transfer will be made by
Draft or telegraphic Transfer T/T
confirm-able in 3 working days to your
location.
(2). This deal must be kept secret
forever and all correspondence will be
strictly by email / telephone for
security purposes.
(3). There should be no third parties as
most problems associated with your fund
release are caused by your agents or
representative.
If you AGREE with my conditions l advise
you to send the following:
A: Your Full name and address
B: Your direct telephone number
C: Sex
D: Occupation.
And the transfer will commence without no delay as I will proceed to fix your name on the payment schedule instantly to meet the three days mandate. I hope you don't reject this offer and have this fund transferred.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Xian Soh.
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