|
|
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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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.
- This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- annheleneyao@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Ann" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <annheleneyao@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 23:42:51 +0700
Subject: Hello
Hello Compliment of the day to you.my name is Ann Helene Yao from Cambodia,female and 26 years of age.i got your email through messenger directory and i am writing you with hope this deal is going to work out for both of us. I am working in a Deposit office and at the end of last year,we did end of the year clearance on abandon luggage's and to my surprise,i found a luggage that was deposited since January 2010 and when i try to x-rated the luggage,i found 100 united states dollar notes totaling over 800,000 dollar and a gold bar in it.
As i am writing to you right now,i am the only one that knows about the luggage
and therefore i solicit for your help to come and stand as next of kin to the depositor
of the luggage so we can get it between our self.
I have all the deposit information and i will make them available to you as soon as you indicate interest to work with me in this deal.I will be waiting to hear from you as this is matter of urgency because government officials will be coming this January to confiscate all abandon luggage.
Please your reply should be send to my email Add:{annheleneyao@hotmail.com}
Best Regards
Ann Helene Yao
|
Anti-fraud resources: