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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:
- "security keeping fee" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "consignment " (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)
- "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)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "courier company" (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 "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
- 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.
- unitedcourierlimited@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Barrister Patrick N. Patrick" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <unitedcourierlimited@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 07:50:50 -0800
Subject: CONTACT THE COURIER FOR YOUR CONSIGNMENT FUNDS
Good day!!!
I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank Draft of $ 7 million United States
Dollars, but no respond from you. Then I went to the bank to confirm if the draft has expired or getting near
to expire and Dr.Wilson the Director Bank of Africa told me that before the draft will get to your hand that it will
expire. So I told him to cash the $7 million UNITED STATES DOLLARS to avoid losing this funds under
expiration as I will be out of the country for a 3 Months Course and I will not come back till ending of
January 2014. What you have to do now is to contact UNITED COURIER LIMITED as
soon as possible to know when they will deliver your Consignment to you because of the expiring date.
For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charge,Insurance premium.
The only money you will send to the UNITED COURIER LIMITED to deliver your Consignment direct to your
postal Address in your country which cost only ($110 US) United States Dollars only being Security Keeping
Fee of the Courier Company so far.I would have paid that but they said no because they don't know when
you will contact them and in case of Dumurrage.You have to contact UNITED COURIER LIMITED now for
the delivery of your Draft with this information below;
Directors Name: FAITH OKOYE
Company Name: UNITED COURIER LIMITED
Email Address: unitedcourierlimited@yahoo.com
Telephone: +234-8025691466
Finally, make sure you reconfirm your Postal address and Direct telephone number to them to avoid any
mistake on the Delivery and ask them to give you the tracking number to enable you track your package
over there and know when it will get to your address. Let me repeat again, try to contact them as soon as
you receive this mail to avoid any further delay and remember to pay them their Security Keeping fee of
$110 US Dollars for their immediate action.
Note this. The UNITED COURIER LIMITED don't know the contents of the Box. I registered it as a BOX of
Africa cloths.They did not know the contents was money. this is to avoid them delaying with the BOX.
Don't let them know that box contents money OK.Contact the UNITED COURIER LIMITED unfairlingly to
know the status of your consignment.
Best Regards
Barrister Patrick N. Patrick
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