|
|
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:
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- 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.
- cymia.gtoure@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Ms. Cymia G. Toure" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <cymia.gtoure@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2013 07:53:59 +0100
Subject: Greetings Dear
Greetings Dear,
Please permit me to inform you about my desire to go into mutual business relationship with you. My name is Miss. Cymia Gbagbo Toure; I am 21years old from Ivory Coast. I am the only child of late parent Mr. and Mrs. Gbagbo Toure, my father was a wealthy Cocoa Merchant, He's the CEO of Cocoa Export Corporation (C.E.C) based in Abidjan city, the capital city of Cote d'Ivoire. My father and mother and my only younger sister was killed by unknown rebels during the second Ivorian Civil War broke out in March 2011. I was schooling in Ghana then and I am the only child of my parent and survival from the family. I am presently residing now in a local Guest House here in Republic of Togo for safety of my life. I decided to contact you believing in God that you will not betray my trust. Please, I am seeking for your sincere assistance to help me to transfer my inheritance money US$3.2Million (Three Million two Hundred Thousand United States of American Dollars) which my late father deposited in a Bank here in Republi
My email address is: cymia.gtoure@yahoo.com
I am waiting for your reply soonest.
Remain Blessed.
Sincerely,
Cymia
|
Anti-fraud resources: