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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:
- 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:
- "million 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)
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Nelson Bobby." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <nelsonbobby39@yahoo.es>
Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2012 11:11:45 +0100
Subject: Awaiting your reply.??
Attn; Beneficiary
Precisely, on 20th of June , 2012 a man by the name MR. EUGENE SCHNEIDER walked into my office and requested that we transfer to his account your inheritance fund of $5.5 Million Dollars which is due to pay to you as Contract/Inheritance fund. He presented some documents among which were a Power of Attorney which supported his claims that you contracted him to front you as a Next of Kin.
The primary reason for contacting you is because on the Power of Attorney he presented before me it bears his own signature and not your and this has made me curious and so i decided to contact you being the Director of the organization before giving instructions that the transfer of funds to his bank account be proceeded with.
DETAILS OF HIS BANK ACCOUNT
Account Name: Eugene .C. Schneider
Bank Name: Regions Bank
Bank Branch: Anaheim, California
Account Type: Checking
Account Number: 11001319323
ABA Routing Number: 263191387
As soon as I receive the confirmation that you duly authorized him to receive the fund on your behalf, then I will immediately proceed with the transfer of the funds to his account.
Awaiting your reply.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Nelson Bobby.
FUND TRANSFER CONTROLLER
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