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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 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.
- boarduk25@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Microsoft/Yahoo Online Board" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <boarduk25@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:28:24 -0800
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your E-mail Has Won 1,000,000.00 Euro In The Microsoft/Yahoo Nationale Postcode O
Microsoft/Yahoo Online Board.
In Conjunction With-
Nationale Postcode Loterij
website: www.postcodeloterij.nl
Results For First Category
Postbus 636-5930 AM
Terneuzen,Holland.
Dear Email Owner,
We are happy to announce that this email has won in this month category of the NATIONALE POSTCODE
LOTERIJ DRAWS.This makes you a
proud winner of one Million Euro.This lottery is organised for the benefit of all internet email users all
around the world.This lottery is organised by Microsoft/Yahoo Online Board in conjunction with National
Postcode Lottery. You are to reply to this email and send the below informations for claims.
1. Name:
2. Address:
3. Occupation:
4. Age:
5. Sex:
6. Nationality:
7. Country of Residence:
8. Telephone Number:
NOTE: ALL REPLIES AND CORRESPONDENCES SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO (boarduk25@yahoo.com.hk).
This email is registered and sent only to a certified Microsoft/Yahoo National Postcode Loterij
promo winner.
You are to keep this award strictly from public notice until your claim
has been processed and your money remitted to you.
This is part of our security protocol to avoid issues of friends or
relatives trying to claim a prize on the rightful winner's behalf.
Our special thanks and gratitude to Bill Gates and associates.Accept our
hearty congratulations once again.
PAMELA ANN BANDARA (MRS.)
DIRECTOR; CLAIMS DEPARTMENT.
TEL/FAX: +31 (0) 84 740 8620
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Anti-fraud resources:
