419 scam: Todd C Williams <tddwillms@hotmail.com> =?windows-1256?Q?ABOUT_YOUR?= =?windows-1256?Q?

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "the bmw automobile company" (no such lottery exists)
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
1. They don't notify winners by email.
2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
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.
- harjgillba@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Todd C Williams <tddwillms@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <harjgillba@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2014 14:48:57 -0500
Subject: =?windows-1256?Q?ABOUT_YOUR?= =?windows-1256?Q?_CLAIM=FE=FE?=

THE
INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS PROMOTION DEPARTMENT OF

THE BMW
AUTOMOBILE COMPANY.

Sacramento, CA United
State.

Reference
Number: BMW: 2551256003/23

and
serial number: BMWP/556543450906 was randomly selected as the star prize winner
amongst other consolation prize winners.

!!!CONGRATULATION
YOU ARE A WINNER!!!.

Attention:
Email Account Holder,

We
happily announce to you the draw (#1404) of the US INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY,
online Sweepstakes promotion held in USA on Friday 10th January 2014.Your
active e-mail address attached to the World Wide Web computer generated ticket
number: B55607545 4152 with reference number UK/JA2C110P5 and Serial number
ZA5365/3, Batch number XA87-2PY,drew the lucky numbers: 06 14 32 35 41
Bonus 43

This
subsequently won you the lottery in the 1st category i.e. matches 5 lucky
numbers Plus Bonus number.

The
Board of Directors, members of staff and the International Awareness Promotion
Department of the BMW Auto mobile Company, wishes to congratulate you once
again on your success as the STAR PRIZE WINNER in this years' BMW Auto mobile
International Awareness Promotion (IAP) held on Friday 10th January 2014, in
USA, United State of Africa.

This
makes you the proud owner of a brand new BMW 5 Series, M Sport Saloon car and a
cash prize of US$2,5000,000.00 (Two Million,Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars).
The car comes with a special BMW Insurance Cover for one whole year, that is,
till the next promotion in 2015. It also comes with a one year warranty and
FREE repairs at any BMW AUTO MOBILE depot
or service station worldwide.

DESCRIPTION
OF PRIZE VEHICLE.

YEAR:
2010, MODEL: 2010 BMW 320I

For
you to collect your prizes, kindly fill the verification form below and contact
our paying agent in United State

NAME
Mr. HARJ
GILL DBA

Email
(harjgillba@gmail.com)

Phone
number.. Tel:
+1-213-787-6820

with
bellow information.

1.
Full Name:

2.
Email Address:

3.
Age/Occupation:

4.
Reference Number/Ticket Number

5.
Phone Number:

6.
Country:

7.
Date of draw

PRIZE
BREAKDOWN

------------------------------------------------------------

Draw
1404 Sat 05/01/ 2013 14 32 35 41 42 Bonus 43 Jackpot for this
draw $7,542,072

------------------------------------------------------------

No.
of matches No. of winners $s per
winner $s Prize fund

January
6
4
$1,885,518 $7,542,072

January
5 plus Bonus
3
$520,731
$1,562,193

January
5
387
$2,522
$976,014

January
4
25,997
$82
$2,131,754

January
3
519,196
$10
$5,191,960

Totals
545,587
$17,403,993

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional
information Jackpot winner(s) Lucky Dip winners Machine used for draw Ball set
used

4
SAPPHIRE
3

This
promotion was drawn based on email address as the key identification for
setting up online accounts. All valid email addresses in the World Wide Web
Draw used/participants for the online email promotion version were selected
randomly via computer balloting from a global website collaboration with
internet companies like eBay, pay pal, liberty reserve, face book and Google
whom also built their systems and based their membership registration identity
on email addresses supporting this computer draw system done by extracted email
addresses from over 100,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies
and affiliated members to the BMW website and their advertisers listed
online.

This
Online promotion takes place via virtual ticket balloting and it is done
Bi-annually.

For
security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential
till your claim is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever choice
you want to claim your prize. Precautionary measure to avoid double claiming
and unwarranted abuse of this program are in place. Please be warned!!! To file
for your claim, please contact our agent and provide him with your winning
email and details.

Yours
faithfully,

Teresa
Marie Roberts.

Online
co-coordinator.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam