|
|
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 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.
- mrs.carman.lapointe1919@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Carman Lapointe" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrs.carman.lapointe1919@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2015 21:10:50 +0800
Subject: RE: PLEASE CLARIFY
UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES
Internal Audit, Monitoring, Consulting and Investigations Division
From: Mrs. Carman Lapointe
my name is Mrs. Carman Lapointe Young the United Nations Under-Secretary I was sent to Nigeria last week by the United Nation and is to officially informed you that your name are among the scam victims that will be compensated with the sum of $5.5Million from United Nations and because of this make united nation send me to Nigeria to make sure people like you receive there fund from Nigeria here without any hitch
And I have a mandate with UN and other stake holders who approved your fund to make sure you receive your own fund before I go back to NEW YORK to summit my report, and I contact you about your own fund because is ready for you to make the claim because your approval documentations that will back up your fund transfer are here with me which if you need to see the copies I will show you for your confirmation
Note those are payment options so kindly choose one how you want your fund to reach you and get back to me so that I can start processing your transfer before it will be too late because I don? have much time to stay here in Nigeria so get back to me and let me know the option you chose immediately you receive this email from me
(1)By bank to bank wire transfer
(2)By ATM master card
(3)By cash delivery
(4)By online banking system
Thanks for your understanding
I wait to hear from you soon
Yours faithfully
Mrs. Carman Lapointe
Contact Email: (mrs.carman.lapointe1919@gmail.com)
|
Anti-fraud resources:
