|
|
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:
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
- They don't notify winners by email.
- You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
- They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
- They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
- They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
- They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
- They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
- 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.
- agent_frankmoore@yahoo.co.uk (Yahoo, United Kingdom; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
- and send to him at email email address: agent_frankmoore@yahoo.co.uk email address: info.claimagentfrankmoor@yahoo.co.uk full (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: UK INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY AGENT <firstbankpayment10@gmail.com>
Reply-To: info.claimagentfrankmoor@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2011 02:35:25 -0700
Subject: CHECK YOUR EMAIL (CONGRATULATION CONGRATULATION)
UK INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY INC.
(Registration YT67032V).
MOTTO: FIGHTING POVERTY ROUND THE WORLD
REF No: UK/9420X2/68
BATCH No:07410512436924369
TICKET No: UK102261
SERIAL No: S/N-00564
LUCKY No: 657-56-786-40-11-90
Congratulations
Dear Lottery Winner,
This is to inform you that you have won a lottery prize of GBP820,000.00
. (EIGHT HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND POUNDS STERLING) from the United
Nation's/UK Lottery Development Programme.
You are among 2011 winner to get GBP820,000.00. NOTE: You have to
Contact Our Representing Agent in African Barr. Moore .M. Frank he
is Our Representing Agent He will give you directives on how to claim
your won prize.
FILL YOUR DATA INFORMATION'S AND SEND TO HIM AT EMAIL
EMAIL ADDRESS: agent_frankmoore@yahoo.co.uk
EMAIL ADDRESS: info.claimagentfrankmoor@yahoo.co.uk
FULL NAME. ..............................
................................................
HOME ADDRESS. ...............................................................................................
RESIDENTIAL COUNTRY.
.....................................................................................
NATIONALITY ...................................................................................
OCCUPATION...........................................................................................
TELEPHONE...................................................................................................
AGE. .................................................................................................
SEX.l.........................................................................................
CONGRATULATION TO OUR LUCKY WINNERS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY BOARD.
Signed.
Mrs. Magaret Ross
The President.
UK International Lottery Inc.
|
Anti-fraud resources: