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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "swift card payment center" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
- "hundred thousand united state dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned 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.
- info.musaoceanicbkplc@googlemail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From:
Reply-To: <info.musaoceanicbkplc@googlemail.com>
Date:
Subject: Re:Immediate ATM DEBIT Cash Card Payment Notification
FROM THE DESK OF: DR IDRIS MUSA
OCEANIC BANK NIG PLC
34 MARINA STREET VICTORIAL ISLAND LAGOS
International Settlement Dept.
Email:info.musaoceanicbkplc@googlemail.com
Re:Immediate ATM DEBIT Cash Card Payment Notification
ATTENTION/BENEFICIARY
Your name and your contact details was given to this office(OCEANIC BANK PLC.)In respect of your total lnherited/Lottery/Contract sum owed to you, which you have failed to claim because of Either Non-Compliance of Official processes or because of your Unbelief of the Reality of your genuine payment.
We wish to bring to you the solution to this problem. Right now we have arranged your payment through our Swift Card Payment Centers, That is the latest Instruction from Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS)
This card center of the Oceanic Bank Plc will send to you an ATM Card which you will use to withdraw your MONEY in any Inter-switch ATM Machine in any part of the world.
So if you like to receive your fund in this way, Please let us know by contacting us back and also send the following Information as listed Below ;
1. Full Name
2. Phone And Fax Number
3. Address Were You Want Them To Send The ATM Card To
(P.O Box Not Acceptable)
4. Your Age And Current Occupation
5. Attach Copy Of Your Identification
We have been mandated by the ECOWAS Parliament to issue out $3.5M Usd.(Three Million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars).
Having said that, You have to stop any further communication with any other person (S) Or Office(S) To avoid any hitches in receiving your payment.
Note that because of impostors, We hereby issued you our code of Conduct, Which is (ATM-110) so you have to indicate this Code when contacting the Bank by using it as your Subject.
Wait For Your Expedite Response.
Yours In Service,
DR IDRIS MUSA
lnternational Settlement Dept.
Oceanic bank international plc.
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