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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:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "the consignment" (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)
- "consignment " (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)
- "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: pinacule mine <mrshellenrogerkouassi@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 25 May 2015 11:54:01 +0000
Subject: BONJOUR
Dear Sir,
It is my pleasure to introduce myself to you I am MISS HELLEN ROGER KOUASSI
from Ivory Coast and I am 27 years old now but want to invest my
fund in your country in a lucrative business that I and you will gain,
this fund is my inheritance from my father as the only daughter of my
father and all the vital documents as the proof of the fund is with me
and the fund is presently in Europe security company now where I will
direct you and power
you to go ahead to pick it up on my behalf.
I am here to inform you that my father deposited the fund $ 13.4
Million dollars which he earn from our Gold mining site along with
some quantities of Gold dust about 20kg which he kept in a safe
guided security there without the information of anyone else except me
who is the beneficiary of the said fund and the Gold since he died on
October 2014 and I had been
looking for whom to trust with this fund for the investment purposes
till now that I decided to contact you secretly to know whether you
can be of any help .
Sir please be informed that if you know that you can help me without
betrayal then let me know the area you will like to invest this fund
that will be profitable for me but for your kindest help that you will
take 35% of the total sum all together after you claim the fund and
the Gold while 60% will be for the investment for 5 years but the
annual profit will be shared 50/50 for me and you. Please if you are
willing then let me know so that I will direct you to the security
company that you will contact to bring the consignment box to Europe
where you, security company appointee for the delivering it to you and
my lawyer will meet so that my lawyer will hand you over the
consignment box one to one.
My best regards to you and I look forward to hear from you ASAP.
Yours sincerely
MISS HELLEN ROGER KOUASSI
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