|
|
joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
|
|
"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.
- leylazaid66@rediffmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Leyla Zaid" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <leylazaid66@rediffmail.com>
Date: Tue, 15 May 2012 15:37:59 -0400
Subject: Classified Information.
Dear sir
I am writing out of great despair because I have fled from Syria to Lebanon with my two daughters after the fighting has intensified. But I am still yet to recover from the shock that my husband have been killed by stray bullets from gun fire.
The reason why I have contacted you is because I am not longer comfortable here in this refugee camp in Lebanon. I would like to relocate to your country with my children and start a new life. My husband has left some money with a bank in the United Kingdom, which I would like to transfer to you for re-investment. Myself don’t like to live in the UK. I want a more peaceful country.
Now that Syria is cut into pieces with my husband dead and our houses completely destroyed, I am very scared of going back to Syria again and I don’t want to continue staying as a refugee here in Beirut, Lebanon. My only hope to achieve this aim is with the money left in the bank.
I would like to introduce you to the bank as my husband's business associate so that you will help me receive the money and invest it into any lucrative business until I get visa and arrive to meet you with my daughters. I know that it will take a long time for Syria to be re-built again.
Please let me know what is your decision towards helping me and I will show you the bank document as a proof. I am waiting for your reply.
Yours truly,
Email: leylazaid66@rediffmail.com
Leyla Zaid
|
Anti-fraud resources:
