|
|
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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- mrabdallah168@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr.Abdallah Hassan" <mrsaichadiallo21@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrabdallah168@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2023 13:22:23 +0100
Subject: I Need Your Urgent Assistance
Dear Friend,
I know that this message will come to you as a surprise. i am
accountant of integrated finance Bank of Africa (Boa), here in west
Africa. i hoped that you will not expose or betray this trust and
confident that i am about to repose on you for the mutual benefit of
our families.
I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of (usd$10.2)
million to your account within 10 to 14 banking days. This money has
been dormant for years in our bank without claim. i want the bank to
release the money to you as the nearest person to our deceased
customer (the owner of the account) died along with his supposed next
of kin in an Aeroplane disaster in America since November, 2000.
I don't want the money to go into our bank treasurer account as an
abandoned fund. So this is the reason why i contacted you so that the
bank can release the money to you as the next of kin to the deceased
customer. Please i would like you to keep this proposal as a top
secret and delete it if you are not interested.
Upon receipt of your reply, i will give you full details on how the
business will be executed and also note that you will have 40% of the
above mentioned sum if you agree to handle this business with me the
details will be forwarded to you for the process of the fund to get
into your bank account. Reply to my confidential email address
(mrabdallah168@gmail.com).
Best Regard.
Mr. Abdallah Hassan
|
Anti-fraud resources:
