|
|
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:
- 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:
- "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "BMW LOTTERY DEPT." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <customercare@bmw-mobile.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2018 14:27:54 +0800
Subject: Claim Your Car And Check With Your Winning Code BMW:2541256004/25.
Your email has been selected for a prize of a brand New BMW 7 Series M760i xDrive M Power 2017 / 2018 Car and a Check of US$1.5 Million from the international balloting programs held in USA but the WINNINGS IS FOR EVERYBODY CONTACTED AS A WINNER IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD. Contact the claims agent with code BMW:2541256004/25 and your DELIVERY DETAILS (Your Full Name, Delivery Address and Mobile Number) to claim your prize.
Name: Mr. Albert Jensen
Email: customercare@bmw-mobile.com
Congratulations !!!!
|
Anti-fraud resources:
