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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million united states 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)
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "confidentiality of this transaction" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- ahmadbanani001@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "URGENT RESPONSE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ahmadbanani001@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 23:54:56 -0700
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE.
FROM THE DESK OF MR.JEMANI BANANI
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AUDITING AND
ACCOUNTING UNIT, LLOYDS TSB.
BANK COTONOU,BENIN REPUBLIC.
TELEPHONE:+229 93 85 22 20
EMAIL ADDRESS: ahmadbanani@globomail.com /ahmadbanani001@gmail.com
DEAR FRIEND,
MY NAME IS MR.JEMANI BANANI, A BANKER BY PROFESSION AND CURRENTLY A DIRECTOR WITH LLOYDS TSB BANK COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC.
I GET YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS IN MY SEARCH FOR A REPUTABLE AND RELIABLE PERSON TO HELP ME CLAIM THE SUM OF UD$22.1MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS DEPOSITED IN OUR BANK BY ONE OF OUR CUSTOMER WHO DIED WITH THE WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN ON THE AF4590 PLANE CRASH,WHICH CRASHED ON MONDAY 31 JULY 2000 INTO THE HOTEL ISSION. VISIT THE WEB SITE FOR CONFIRMATION.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
SINCE HIS DEATH NO ONE HAS COME UP AS HIS NEXT OF KIN AND ALL OUR EFFORTS TO LOCATE ANY MEMBER OF HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY HAS PROVE ABORTIVE THAT WAS WHY I DECIDED TO SEE IF I CAN GET ANYBODY WHO WILL ASSIST ME AND I BELIEVE YOU HAVE ALL THE QUALITIES WE NEED.
WHY I AM CONTACTING YOU IS TO PRESENT YOU TO OUR BANK AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO OUR DECEASED COSTUMER ENGR.J.C ZARANETH.WHO IS A DRILLING CONTRACTOR WITH SOME OIL COMPANIES HERE IN WEST AFRICA. SO IT WILL BE MORE ACCEPTABLE AND WISER TO PRESENT YOU THROUGH PAPER WORK TO THE BANK FOR THE CLAIM OF THE TOTAL FUND.
I WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS THAT THE BANK MAY REQUEST FROM YOU AND FOLLOW UP THE TRANSFER OF THE FUND INTO YOUR A/C AS AN INSIDER. IT WILL INTEREST YOU TO KNOW THAT I AND MY PARTNERS HAS BEEN KEEPING OUR EYES ON THIS FUNDS AND HAS PUT THE ACCOUNT BLIND AND COVERED TO THE PUBLIC BY KEEPING THE ACCOUNT DORMANT TO ENABLE OUR PLANS FOR THE FUNDS TO COME THROUGH AND THIS IS THE TIME AND WE ARE HAPPY TO LOCATE YOU FOR THE PERFECTION OF THE TRANSFER OF THE FUND INTO YOUR NOMINATED BANK A/C TO BE GIVEN.
PLEASE BE INFORMED THAT YOUR UTMOST CONFIDENTIALITY IS REQUIRED.IF THIS INTERESTS YOU,I WANT TO REMIND YOU OF THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THIS TRANSACTION AT HAND WHATEVER YOUR DECISION IS I AWAIT YOUR URGENT RESPONSE. YOUR DETAILED REPLY SHOULD CONTAIN YOUR TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER FOR EASIER COMMUNICATION
AS SOON AS I GET YOUR POSITIVE RESPONSE I WILL UPDATE YOU ABOUT THE MODE OF DISBURSEMENT AND WE WILL ALSO NEED TO KNOW ABOUT INVESTING IN YOUR COUNTRY. SO CONTACT ME THROUGH MY PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS: ahmadbanani@globomail.com /ahmadbanani001@gmail.com
URGENT RESPONSE.
LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR URGENT RESPONSE.
YOURS SINCERELY
MR.JEMANI BANANI.
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