|
|
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:
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- gustav.cilliers@hotmail.ru (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr.Gustav Cilliers" <gustav.cilliers@hotmail.ru>
Reply-To: gustav.cilliers@hotmail.ru
Date: Tue, 05 May 2015 23:38:56 +0200
Subject: Compliment of the Day
Compliment of the Day, I refer to the letter I posted to your address but d=
id not hear from you and decided to email once again. I am pleased to intro=
duce myself, I'm Mr.Gustav Cilliers a Barrister / solicitor with GM Securit=
y Company which is one of the reliable and reputable Security firms here in=
Benin and Ecowas Territories,personal attorney to a deceased client of min=
e a nationality of your country, my client, wife and their only daughter we=
re involved in a car accident here in my country and lost their lives years=
back. I am contacting you to assist me to repatriate US$13.2M (Thirteen Mi=
llion Two Hundred Thousand Dollars) because the deposited fund duration has=
expired and needs renewal or withdrawal from their bank or otherwise the f=
und will be confiscated and transfer over to the government treasury.Please=
contact me from your private email address to this email (gustav.cilliers@=
hotmail.ru) for more information. Thanks and regards, Mr.Gustav Cilliers / =
Solicitors gustav.cilliers@hotmail.ru
|
Anti-fraud resources:
