|
|
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:
- 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.
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- infoministry_minister@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Daniel I. Kifasi" <tocharities@yahoo.co.jp>
Reply-To: infoministry_minister@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2014 05:48:20 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: KINDLY CONFIRM IF YOU SEND THEM TO CLAIM YOUR FUND
Dear Sir
I am a director with the Federal Ministry of Finance and was instructed by
the Hon Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to find out before the
end of this month, WHY your contract/ claim of your part payment of $15.5
Million fund have not been credited to your account.
However their is two gentlemen who came from your country to claim this
fund on your behalf and the reason giving to us is that you are the one
who send them that you are terminal sick and they provide account of Union
Bank of Swizterland for the payment to be made. Kindly reconfirm your
banking particulars to us and to know if you are the one that send them,
your telephone and your full name for us to check with the one in our
file.
Yours faithfully,
Mr. Daniel I. Kifasi
Tel:+234-805-466-7849
E-mail:infoministry_minister@yahoo.com
KINDLY CONFIRM IF YOU SEND THEM TO CLAIM YOUR FUND
|
Anti-fraud resources:
