|
|
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:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "From: Adel M El-Labban" (may be fake)
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:48:39 +0100
Subject: ATTENTION PLEASE
Attention Please
My name is Adel M El-Labban; I trained and currently work as the Business Development Director with Ahli United Bank Plc at Portman Square London. I am contacting you to know if you can make a deal with me, I discovered an unclaimed inheritance fund in our bank and I will like to present you to my bank as the next of kin to the account owner. This is easily possible as you bear the same NATIONALITY with the account owner, and can stand as his extended relative.
Banking regulation/legislation in the United Kingdom demand that I notify the Office of Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) after a statutory time period of nine years when dormant accounts of this type are discovered. The above set of facts underscores my reason of writing you for us to claim the fund instead of allowing it pass on as unclaimed fund into the coffers of the British Government.
I have all relevant documents (Legal and Banking) that will facilitate my putting you forward as the claimant/beneficiary of the funds and ultimately transfer the money to an account nominated by you. If necessary, we can easily open a new account with our bank on your name for this purpose. If you accept to cooperate in this, we will agree unquestionably on adequate compensation for you after we successfully get the money transferred to you.
There will be no risk involved whatsoever if you agree to co-operate but we need to keep the plan totally PRIVATE. I fully guarantee that the transaction will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect both you and me from any breach of the law.
Regards,
Adel M El-Labban
|
Anti-fraud resources:
