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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:
- 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:
- "affidavit of claim" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
Fraud email example:
From: "Barr. Phillip Osume" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <financehomegrant@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 14:59:26 +0100
Subject: READ CAREFULLY. .............Our Ref: FGN /SNT/STB
security Operation Code: (FDMO / IDMO / 793XXCL / 04)
SUBJECT: FINAL PAYMENT NOTICE OF US$18.8M (Eighteen Million, Eigth Hundred Thousand
United State Dollars)
READ CAREFULLY. .............Our Ref: FGN /SNT/STB
Regards to your contract/Inheritance payment on file
MVF/FMF/20/07/2015 of the debt re-constitution set up by the new G.C.F.R President Good luck Jonathan.
Att; Sir,
This is to officially inform you that we have verify on your Contract/Inheritance
file and found out that why you have not receive your payment is because you have
not fulfill the financial obligations giving to you in respect to your Contract / Inheritance Payment.
Until today a circular/Query was sent from the Treasury Section this
morning to enable my office Confirm that you issued a letter of
Authority for a change of Beneficiary and receiving address from your
name/Address to Mr. Paul Bowen from Austra. The circular stated that one
Mr. Paul Bowen came to the Treasury Department claiming to be from your
sister company in Luxembourg with a letter of Authority purported to
have been written by you that the total Inheritance sum should be
transferred into your sister Company Account in Austra and that they are
ready to pay the outstanding fee of US$750 (Seven Hundred and Fifty
United States Dollars Net) meant for the procurement of the insurance policy
certificate) obtainable from the legal department in order to receive
the fund.
Please what is happening? I will want you to confirm the following
issues:
1. Do you have a sister company in Autra?
2. Did you give anybody a power of attorney to receive your
Inheritance payment/ entitlement on your behalf?
3. Should we authorize the Treasury Department to acknowledge and
validate the purported authority to change Beneficiary and have the fund
transferred to Mr. Paul Bowen on matters concerning your claims/payment.
Please note that you have between 4 working days from the date of
this letter to attend and clarify the issue raised above or this office
will conclude that all the issues raised are correct and subsequently
confirm to the Treasury Department to deal with Mr. Paul Bowen. In the
light of the above, this office shall not welcome any petition or Blames
letter that your fund was wrongly paid/transferred to someone else if you do not
respond to this letter.It is our tradition to first confirm the
original beneficiary before any Reconfirmation can be given to the Treasury
Department Point a annotate: Prior to the issue raised above. After the
effort and time you went as far as authorizing your Sister Company to
receive the same Inheritance payment on your behalf without my consent.
Based on this your payment with instructions from the Treasury Department
had been stopped automatically unless you clear this issue raised above
by convincing my humble self and the Treasury Department that you never
authorize such an act.
This must be supported with an Affidavit of claims /Declaration
denouncing such claims by Mr. Paul Bowen. Without such a Declaration; no
payment shall be paid to you. This Declaration must be sworn through the
High Court of Justice Nigeria.
Re-confirm the following information
1.Your Full names.
2.Your Telephone and fax numbers.
3.Your Contact address.
4 Id Card.
5.Current Occupation.
Awaiting your immediate response.
Yours faithfully,
Barr. Phillip Osume
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