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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:
- 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 next of kin scam.
- 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.
- m.abdullahi@mail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "mohamed.abdullahi" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <m.abdullahi@mail.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:14:37 +0200
Subject: re.
I am contacting you based on my desire to establish a mutually benefiting business relationship with you and consequently accomplish a certain business opportunity hoping that we can trust each other. I am Mr...Mohamed Abdullahi., staff of Libyan National Banking Corporation; I am presently in Madrid Spain due to the unrest in my country. I wrote you in respect of aForeign customer of my bank ; who was killed by NATO airstrike attack in Libya, until his death I was his account officer.
Before his death he completed a fund-transfer process of (USD18.5m) to a Financial Security firm In Madrid Spain, from LNBC-Libya. As it stands, nobody will ever come for this money because he died with his family as his resident home was leveled to ruble by the air-strike. I wrote with intention to solicit your honest assistance to be presented as NEXT OF KIN to my late client to enable you lay claims on this inheritance and get the money paid to your Account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you all will be well at the end of the day.
I want you to collaborate with me under a clear and legitimate agreement with you to safekeeping this money for further sharing between us or possible investment in your country. Services of a legal-attorney will be required to notarize document that will legitimize your claims as the next of kin. However confidentiality and undivided attention to enable us succeed is needed from us. I hope you read this proposal with good understanding of intent behind, send your contact details while replying and please View this BBC web publication; check out the embeded website.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13843798
Regards.
M.Abdullahi. m.abdullahi@mail.com
m.abdullahi@mail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
