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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:
- 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 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.
Fraud email example:
From: "Ms. Marry Matou" <harris01kp@yahoo.co.jp>
Reply-To: "Ms. Marry Matou" <marry_matou@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 02:42:36 +0900 (JST)
Subject: From Mrs Mary Matou
>From Mrs Mary Matou
Hello Dear,
I am the principal treasury officer with one of the prime banks in Ivory Coast. I have decided to contact you through this medium based on a business proposal, I am Ms. Marry Matou a financial consultant of Mrs. Simone Gbagbo the wife of the former president Laurent Gbagbo.
Mrs. Gbagbo is in prison here in Cote dâIvoire, she felt that she might join her husband in Hague where the husband has been detained by the war crime tribunal. Actually Mrs. Gbagbo has set aside the sum of USD $6.5 Million Dollars (Six Million Five hundred thousand dollars)
to invest in real estate before the war started in 2011 after discrepancy in the general elections which was pronounced in favor of the opposition. The present government has impounded all assets and cash belonging to family and these funds is still safe because it was already moved to a separate bank account which is not registered in the family name.
During my last visit to her in prison here, she advised we make arrangements to move the money out immediately and invest the money abroad which was why I contacted you.
I choose to contact a complete stranger for this transaction because so many people have betrayed them since they are no longer in power. I need someone who can be trusted because this is the only thing left for this family and for the future of the family, since all have been lost. I need your urgent response so that I can give you more details to enable us move forward. We shall give you 30% of the total sum for this sincere assistant.
I assures you that you will never regret your efforts.
I waits to read from you and keep this information to yourself.
Sincerely
Ms. Marry Matou
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