|
|
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:
- "trunk box" (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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Engineer John Smith <info.adtglobalmailbag@gmail.com>
Reply-To: johnsmith.engr@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 01:28:15 -0800
Subject: From the US.Military Cargo Ship, very important
Hello,
I am Engineer John Smith a widower, I work as a senior Sailing Officer with
US military Cargo Ship. I am looking for a serious partner. I sent this
mail from our ship. I and my colleague discovered a trunk box in the ship
engine room when we are fixing some technical fault containing USD10.6
million United States Dollars which was the fund discovered after
exchanging fire with the Taliban's at their hide out place, these are the
fund the Taliban’s uses to purchase war materials they are using to kill
the innocent people while some innocent motherless children continue to
suffer in hunger,decided to use the Red Cross immunity by packaging all the
money inside a Red Cross medical box and seal it with Red Cross stamp and
send it to west Africa as a Red Cross medical aid to support sick children
so that no authority will have right to examine the box and it was handed
over to the UNDP over there for the safe keeping of the box until we found
a reliable and trusted person who will help us receive the box for us
until we return from our trip The trunk box are deposited with UNDP office
before we embarked on this journey.
I am looking for a reliable person who I can entrust these box into his/her
care for investments in his/her country until I arrive from my trip. I am
contacting you to stand on my behalf for the release of these boxes to you
due to some urgent message from the UNDP because the situation of my job at
the moment will not allow me to lay hands on them right now.
Kindly get back to me if you have any interest.
Your faithful,
Engineer John Smith
Senior Sailing officer
US.Military Cargo Ship.
|
Anti-fraud resources:
