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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:
- "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- bcdunniii@aol.com (AOL; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: FBI Office <offilcefile1905@superposta.com>
Reply-To: bcdunniii@aol.com
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:36:17 +0800 (CST)
Subject: YOUR ATM MASTER CARD IS READY FOR DELIVERY
Attn
please,
Compliment of
the Season!
This message
is coming to you from FBI office here, we are writing this mail to inform you
that your (Inheritance winning awarded funds of $1.5million) has been totally
converted into a ATM Master card and it's to be delivered to your address via a
courier service, be informed that the courier delivery company will deliver the
card with all the manual and instructions both with PIN code to access the Card
upon receipt. It's the best option to receive this amount since every attempt
failed, therefore you will need to contact the Barrister that helped in
re-claiming the check back and converted it into an ATM visa card with his
address below:
Barrister
Clifton Dunn Jr.
Email: bcdunniii@aol.com
Phone: +229
66020124
Send him your
current address where the Card should be delivered to and remember to indicate
the Reg: code of ATM-0034 to him when making contact with him. Please also
choose the courier service you would like to deliver the Card Post office is
also working but could take the card much time to get to you.
Please
endeavor to inform us once you have received the ATM Card.
Sincere
regards
Robert S.
Mueller
III.
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Anti-fraud resources:
