|
|
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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- "00,000.00" (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 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.
- gideonapotik10@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Gideon Apotik <gideonapotik111@gmail.com>
Reply-To: gideonapotik10@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2011 01:04:26 +0000
Subject: i need your sincerity please advice
Dear
i will introduce myself as Mr.Gideon Apotik a senior staff in accounting
department of my Bank here in Accra Ghana, I believe that you will be
capable and trustworthy to handle this transaction after getting your
contact information and i hope we can assist each other as we progress in
this transaction.
I write you this proposal in good faith to solicit your assistance in
financial transaction that will benefit both of us. On the course of the
2010 end of the year report I discovered after auditing our account that my
branch made Three Million seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars
(USD3,700,000.00) of which no one is aware of it as I have already submitted
an approved end of the year report for the year 2010 to my head office.I
have since then PLACED this fund on a SUSPENSE ACCOUNT without a
beneficiary.
As an officer of the bank, I cannot be directly connected to this money thus
I am impelled to request your assistance in receiving the funds. I intend
that you retain 40% of the funds while 60% shall be for me. NOTE:
There are practically no risk involve in this transaction. It will be a
bank-to-bank transfer and i have mapped out plans of executing this
transaction with full co-operation of our database administrator (he is the
only person aware of the money because there is no way we can do the
transaction without him) who will provide enough information into our bank's
database to give the transaction the needed history/legitimacy as well as
identifying you as the depositor of the funds.
If you accept to go along with me,I will appreciate your timely response to
my private email; gideonapotik10@gmail.com.
With Regards
Gideon Apotik
|
Anti-fraud resources:
