|
|
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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "huge sum of money" (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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "pabu1980@voila.fr" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Abubakar Paul" <pabu1980@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <pabu1980@voila.fr>
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2010 00:09:56 -0000
Subject: URGENT ATTENTION/FROM ABUBAKAR
Dear friend,
i am Mr Abubakar Paul, manager auditing & accounting section Bank of Africa (BOA). It's my urgent need for a reliable and reputable partner that made me to contact you for this business which involves transfer of huge sum of money to a foreign account. I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of ($11.5 million USD) into your account.
I need a foreign partner who will support me because i cannot claim this money without a foreign partner since the deceased client (the owner of the fund) was a foreigner. I agreed that 40% of this money will be for you as a respect to the provision of a foriegn account and i want to assure you that this transaction is absolutely legal and risk free since i works in this bank. Before we proceed, i would like to know your ability to handle this over there in your country. Please tell me more about the political stability in your country and how safety it is to invest in your country.
Kindly update me with your information because i will want to know you more before we proceed on this transaction. Hope you will understand the importance of this request and beleiving you will not let me down nor betray me in this transaction.
You can confirm the genuiness of the deceased death by clicking on this web site http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
Reply me here for security reasons, Email: pabu1980@voila.fr
Thanks,
Sincerely,
Abubakar
|
Anti-fraud resources:
