|
|
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:
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- 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.
- attorneydanlevine4@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "DANIEL LEVINE" <info@lee.com>
Reply-To: <attorneydanlevine4@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2017 15:46:19 -0000
Subject: PROPOSAL
Attention
I am Attorney Dan Levine. I have a business proposal which will
benefit both of us, The amount of money involved is ($70.5 Million
Dollars) which i want to transfer from an abandoned account to your
bank account; it is 100% risk free. Upon the conclusion of this
transaction, i accept that (70%) Seventy Percent will be for you in
respect of all your assistance for this transaction and
(30%)Thirty-Percent will be for me being the pioneer of the business.
A lot of customers open private accounts with different Banks without
the knowledge of their families and when they die, such money will be
lost to the Bank unless someone comes to claim it. This is how a lot
of Bank Directors make so much money silently.
I will like you to provide immediately your information's, to enable
me use it and get you next of kin application form from my bank.
As soon as you reply through this private Email Address
(attorneydanlevine4@gmail.com),I will let you know the next steps and
procedures and more details to follow in order to finalize this
transaction immediately. Please keep whatever you learn from me
between us even if you decide not to go along with me.
Yours Faithfully
Attorney Dan Levine
|
Anti-fraud resources:
