|
|
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:
- 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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "i got your email address from " (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Graca" <privatemailsender@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: <gracamachel891@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2014 04:17:26 +0700
Subject: Greeting
Hello Dear,
Let me first of all inform you,I got your email address from a email Directory 2013 and decided to mail you
for a permission to go ahead with this matter that requires urgent attention.I am Mrs.Gra?a Machel from
South Africa, married to Late Nelson Mandela who was the first Black president of South Africa.My
husband just passed away not quite long now after a lung affected illness that kept him in and out of the
specialist hospital for sometime now.
My Husband and me were married with just 1 daughter.she is 16 years now.When my late husband was
Alive he deposited the sum of $15 million dollars with a Bank in Cambodia for investment purposes for I
and my daughter because he know the other daughters are extremely wicked and will do an undo in
event of his death.Please read from this link and you will understand what I mean
: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2519040/Nelson-Mandela-death-How-family-war-10m-fortune.html
I am seeking for ybvour assistance to move this money out of the bank to your private bank account
for safekeeping because his other children from his older wife are looking for a way to take this from
us which is the only security I have for myself and my only daughter.
I hope you can be trusted to handle this in confidentiality.
I shall email you modalities on how we can work this out without delays once I read from you .Please
hear the cry of a young widow and God will not fail to hear your cry when you call on him.
I await your urgent reply with your details.
Regards,
Mrs. Graca Machel
|
Anti-fraud resources:
