|
|
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:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Wilson Morris <wilsonmorris@voila.fr>
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 09:09:56 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: URGENT REPLY
My Dear Friend,
How are you and your family? I hope you all are fine. My dear I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise, but it's for my urgent need for a foreign partner that made me to contact you for your sincere genuine assistance. My name is Mr Wilson Morris, I am a banker by profession currently holding the post of Director Auditing Department in the Bank of Africa (BOA) here in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
I got your email information through the Burkina's Chamber of Commerce and industry on foreign business relations here inOuagadougou Burkina Faso I haven't disclose this deal to any body. I hope that you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that I am about to repose on you for the mutual benefit of our both families. I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of ($10.5 Million United States Dollars) into your account within 14 working banking days.
This money has been dormant for years in our bank without claim because it is originally belonged to one of our bank Customer who died in the year 2003. I want our bank to release these funds to you as the nearest person to our deceased customer while I come over to your country to share this fund with you as soon as you confirm this fund into your account and ask me to come over.
I don't want the money to go into our bank treasury as an abandoned fund. So this is the reason why I contacted you so that our bank will know you and release this money to you as the next of kin to the deceased customer. Please I would like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not interesting.
Upon the receipt of your reply and indication of your capability, I will give you full details on how the business will be executed and also note that you will have 40% of the above mentioned sum if you agree to handle this business with me while 50% will be for me and 10% will be use to settle all expenses incurred during the transfer legal processing document that will back up the fund to your account in your country because I don't want anyone here in our bank to know my involvement until you confirm this fund into your account and ask me to come over for the sharing as I indicated.
Once you are interested to transact this business with me, kindly give me your consent response immediately. Trusting to hear from you immediately.
Thanks
Mr.Wilson Morris
|
Anti-fraud resources:
