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joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
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"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.
- 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.
- fund_monitoring_unit@consultant.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "MRS.HELLEN ADO" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <n.gloaid@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:36:07 -0700
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS
INTERNATIONAL CREDIT COMMISSION (FUND MONITORING UNIT)
23B RING ROAD REPUBLIC OF GHANA
Tel +233 (0) 268619918 Fax +233 21409554
Email - fund_monitoring_unit@consultant.com
Attention Beneficiary !!!
In line with the on-going financial auditing been conducted in all the financial institutions and regulations here in Republic of Ghana financial monitoring commission ,through our Intelligence Monitoring Network, our fund investigation department, due to series of report received by the commission against financial institutions from foreign beneficiaries over nonpayment of their inheritance/lottery award entitlement.
I write to officially inform you that during the on-going financial auditing our fund investigation officers discovered unpaid fund in your favor with one of the banks here. Therefore it is very important you furnish us with the below listed information for our record update and to avoid wrong transfer;
A man by name Mr. David Smith submitted to our office an application letter stating that you are dead and that you have instructed him to be your beneficiary also that you told him to act as your Next of Kin to receive your payment in his account. Please reconfirm this immediately.
(1) Re-confirm your full names and your contact telephone numbers.
(2) We decided to pay part payment of USD2.800.000 of your unpaid fund.
Note also that it is the responsibility of the commission to protect foreign beneficiary's fund, therefore at present the fund in question have been verified but its under the custody/supervision of the commission until our fund investigation officers conclude with their investigation and we shall guide you to claim the fund.
Regards,
Mrs.Hellen ADO
Protocols and Information Officer
Fund Investigation Dept
Email: fund_monitoring_unit@consultant.com
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