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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "trunk box" (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 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.
- mariavieira89@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: mariam vieira <vieiramariam01@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 15:28:52 +0100
Subject: From:Mariam Vieira
Appeal For Help.
It is my pleasure to write you after going through your profile considering
that I have not seen you face to face but it made me believe that you can
help me solve our problem. I am Miss Maria Bernardo Vieira daughter from
Republic of Guinea-Bissau . I am writing from Rep of Cote d'Ivoire where we
have been taking refuge after the tragic death of my father His Excellency
Joao Bernardo Vieira, President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, which
occurred on Monday 2nd February 2009.Assassinated. by tosan and murder of
my father by the political rebels during the renewed fighting in our
country.
Before the political problem my late Father sold his shipping company and
took
me to a nearby country Cote d'Ivoire to make a deposit of a METALLIC TRUNK
BOX which contains the sum of US $ 14.3 million and the deposit was made on
my name as his daughter Due to the courrent political sutuation in Ivory
Coast I am
seeking for your assistance to transfer this found and also relocate to
your country to further my studies and I am willing to offer you 15% of the
total sum for your help.
i await anxiously to hear from you so that we will discuss the modalities
of this transaction and please treat this matter with confidentcial because
of the safety of my life and the money
Note, you can contact me in my private email; mariavieira89@yahoo.com.
Best Regards
Maria Mariam Vieira
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Anti-fraud resources: