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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- 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.
- loyalfriend552@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: <loyalfriend551@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 07:06:18 -0700
Subject: Kindly read and revert.
Fidelity International
Oakhill House
130 Tonbridge Road
Hildenborough Tonbridge
Kent TN11 9DZ
Dear Friend,
I am Mr. Jordan Gaines, I work as the Fund Executive Manager with Fidelity
Investment UK, the world leading Investment & Fund Management Institution
based in UK/Channel Island.I have an investor under my portfolio with a
closing balance of $35.6M (Thirty Five Million Six Hundred Thousand
Thousand) as his first initial deposit.
This investor died eight years ago leaving no WILL or AUTHORIZATION for
re-transfer of his investment and its proceeds to an INHERITOR. I have
personally carried out an investigation on the subject matter over the
last 12 months and I was made to understand that the family or relatives
of the investor knows nothing about his investment with fidelity and
no-one has any records of all his deposits and investment with us. This
creates an avenue for claiming the said funds with its accrued interest on
presentation of a trustworthy person that can stand as the INHERITOR to
the deceased.
If you are interested I can validate you as the INHERITOR with proper
documentation that will qualify you to have the funds claimed and on doing
so,our establishment will not question the release of the funds to you as
I will give necessary support as an insider to make sure that they comply
with the banking laws and ethics of claiming the investment in our
establishment.
Do note that we shall employ the services of an attorney for drafting &
notarization of the WILL and obtain the necessary documents and letter of
probate or administration in your favor for the transfer. The lawyer will
do the paperwork for this transaction and with my position as the Fund
Executive Manager guarantees the successful execution of this transfer.
Our sharing ratio will be 70%/30%. Please contact me for more details if
interested.
Looking forward to hearing from you shortly.
Kindly reply me using my private email loyalfriend552@gmail.com
Sincerely.
Mr. Jordan Gaines.
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