|
|
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:
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- nicolsa_adams@yahoo.com (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
- the barrister. with email address: for more details. nicolsa_adams@yahoo.com or lawalmariam1@yahoo.com yours faithfully, lawal mariam (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: mariam lawal <lawalmariam8894@gmail.com>
Reply-To: LAW_MORGAN2020@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2018 07:58:12 +0100
Subject: VERY!! URGENT
Good Day,
My name is Lawal Mariam secretary to Barr. Nicolás Adam Mimiado, who asks
me to write you this message, he is the corporate legal officer of Eco bank
Lome, Togo here in West Africa. Your emailed address is gutting from a
classified website on Google and after going through your profile he ask me
to contact you. It is about a deceased bank customer whose relatives cannot
be reached and now he would like you to become the beneficiary of his
assets.
This became the last option because the bank wanted to push the late
customer funds into the bank treasury as unclaimed inheritance. If you are
interested, you can contact the Barrister. with email address: for more
details.
nicolsa_adams@yahoo.com or lawalmariam1@yahoo.com
Yours faithfully,
Lawal Mariam
Secretary to
Barrister. Nicolás Adam Mimiado
|
Anti-fraud resources:
