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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "million 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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +447024025066 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
- +447042049088 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
- 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.
- directordavid@usa.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF LONDON UK" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fbi86888@e-mail.ua>
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:35:36 -0700
Subject: RESERVE BANK OF LONDON UK***
FROM THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF LONDON UK
MR. ROGER CHAN (FRB) PAYMENT OFFICE
7-11 MOOR GATE,LONDON EC2R 6AQ,UNITED KINGDOM
REF: CBN/IRD/-NY-CBX/021/1
FAX : +44-704-204-9088
CALL TODAY: +44 702 4025066
directordavid@usa.com
Attention: ,
This is to bring to your notice that we received a payment credit instruction from the United Nations and World
bank representative office in Switzerland to credit your account with your compensation funds allocated in your name
to the tune of US$5 Million (Five million united states dollars) from their reserve joint accounts of World
Bank/United Nations with us here.
We are told that you are one of the listed citizen that fall into the victim of scam by Africans some time ago
and have to accept this amount as your full compensation from the World Bank /United Nations as you have been
approved to claim this if you can accept it under minding any amount you might lost with them on your efforts trying
to get your inheritance fund payment yet to no avail.
However, you are required to re-confirm the following details as specified below to effect the wire transfer
aforementioned above to your designated account details as soon as possible:
{1}. Your Full Name:
{2}. Your Home Address :
{3}. Your Tel,
Please do provide the above information accurately, because this office cannot afford to be held liable for any
wrong transfer of funds or liability of funds credited into a ghost account. Thanks for your co-operation while
looking forward to serving you with the best of our service.
Thanks as we look forward to serve you better.
My Regards to your family.
Mr. Roger Chan
Your Account Officer
Federal Reserve Bank London UK.
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