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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "affidavit of claim" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "tax clearance" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "million us 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)
- "we advice you" (this email uses bad English)
- "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "tax clearance" (Tax offices mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. Even after you pay their fake tax demands you will still not receive the non-existent funds you have been promised. )
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
Fraud email example:
From: Payment Unit <paymentunit001@yahoo.com.ph>
Reply-To: imfmoneytryoffic@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:05:24 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: Melt Down
IMF WORLD REGULATORY OFFICE
INTERNATIONAL FUNDS REGULATORY AUTHORITY
INTER-CONTINENTAL DEBT RECONCILIATION DEPT.
FROM THE DESK OF: HONORABLE MRS. AMAKA EFE. DIRECTOR; IMF World Regulatory Office.
ATTENTION:PROVISION OF AFFIDAVIT OF CLAIM CERTIFICATE FOR LEGAL COVER/ PROTECTION OF US$15.5M IN FAVOR OF YOU
DUE
TO THE RECENT GLOBAL RECESSION AND MELT DOWN GOING ON IN THE MONEY
WORLD AND YOUR INABILITY TO CLAIM YOUR $15.5 MILLION US DOLLARS AN
URGENT MEETING WAS CALLED UP THIS MORNING TO HAVE YOUR UN-CLAIMED $15.5
MILLION US DOLLARS HANDED OVER BACK TO THE WORLD BANK AS AN UN-CLAIMED FUND.
WHILE
ON SIT IN THE MEETING I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THE DECISION TO HAND OVER
YOUR FUND TO THE WORLD BANK SO I WADDED IN WITH MY TEAM OF LAWYERS ON
YOUR BEHALF TO PLEAD EXTENSIVELY AND AFTER MY LONG PLEA TO THEM ON YOUR
BEHALF THEY ALL AGREED AND HAVE ACCEPTED NOT TO HAND YOUR DUE OWED FUND TO
THE WORLD BANK AS AN UN-CLAIMED FUND .
THEREFORE IF YOU MUST HAVE YOUR $15.5 MILLION US DOLLARS PAID AND RELEASED TO YOU TODAY YOU MUST SECURE THE
INTERNATIONAL TRANSFER TAX CLEARANCE CHARGES ( ITTC ) WHICH COST ONLY
THE SUM OF $80 IF YOUR TRANSFER PROCESS MUST BE SMOOTHLY TRANSFERRED TO YOUR BANK
ACCOUNT OF YOUR CHOICE TODAY.
WE WANT TO PLEAD WITH YOU TO ENSURE THAT THESE FEE OF $80 IS PAID BY YOU SO THAT YOUR INTERNATIONAL
TRANSFER TAX CLEARANCE CHARGES ( ITTC ) IS SECURED IN OTHER TO MAKE
SURE THAT YOUR TRANSFER PROCESS IS FINALLY COMPLETED AND YOUR DUE OWED
FUND RELEASED TO YOU AND NOT HANDED OVER TO THE WORLD BANK.
PLEASE
WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ONLY 24 HOURS TO DO THIS PAYMENT SO
WE CAN CLEAR,RELEASE AND EFFECT YOUR FUND WORTH $15.5M US IN OUR CARE TO
ANY BANK ACCOUNT OF YOUR CHOICE SO WE ADVICE YOU TO PAY THE $80 THROUGH
THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER OR MONEY GRAM MONEY TRANSFER TO THE BELOW INFORMATION AND SEND THE PAYMENT DETAILS TO ME
RECEIVERS NAME: CHUSI AWA
RECEIVERS ADDRESS: CITY : LAGOS
COUNTRY: NIGERIA
SENDERS NAME:
SENDERS ADDRESS:
AMOUNT: $80
M.T.C.N NUMBER:
TEXT QUESTION: ONE
TEXT ANSWER: LOVE
CONFIRM
THE RECEIPT OF THIS E-MAIL BY YOU IMMEDIATELY AND BE REST ASSURED THAT
YOU WILL BE SMILING TO YOUR BANK ONCE YOU COMPLY WITH THE ABOVE
DIRECTIVES NOW.
YOUR
URGENT RESPONSE TO THIS E-MAIL NOW WILL GO A LONG WAY IN HELPING US
ENSURE YOUR PAYMENT IS RELEASED TO YOU WITHIN 24HOURS OF YOU ACTING AS
INSTRUCTED YOU NOW.
RESPOND BACK IMMEDIATELY.
MRS. AMAKA EFE.
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