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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:
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- compensationdept_presidencyfgn@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: UN COMPENSATION OFFICE <ellpegg713@gmail.com>
Reply-To: compensationdept_presidencyfgn@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 03:07:04 -0800
Subject: YOUR COMPENSATION IS READY
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REF/PAYMENTS CODE: UN/NIG/0916013 US$500.000.00 ONLY.
To Whom It May Concern.
This is to bring to your notice that we are delegates from the United
Nations (Lagos-Liaison Office). After our several meetings we were
mandated to pay 550 victims of scam the sum of US$500.000.00 ( Five
Hundred Thousand Dollars Only) each which you are listed and approved
for this payment as one of the scammed victims to be paid this amount
and your payment fall into the African Payment Section with Lagos
Liaison Office of United Nations.
Therefore as soon as I hear from you we will forward to you the
contact person/details of the bank for you to contact them for your
own payment as instructed. Get back to this office as soon as possible
because your US500.000.00 compensations funds have been already
approved. On these recommendations, we wish to inform you that your
US500.000.00 dollars would be paid to you via either Bank to Bank
wire transfer , Bank Draft or ATM Card Payment Method.
Meanwhile, you should Re-Confirm to us the following information:
(1): Your Full Name.........................................
(2): Your Home/Office Address...........................
(3): Your Cell Phone Number.............................
We will forward to you the contact person/details of the bank for you
to contact them for your own payment as instructed as we stated
herein. You can get back to me through this email:
compensationdept_presidencyfgn@yahoo.com
Regards,
Mr.Kenneth Ibeh
Protocol Officer/ Coordinator
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