|
|
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:
- "million 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: "Ghaith Arakkal" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ghaithkal@wildblue.net>
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2015 14:28:39 -0500
Subject: Best wishes
Am writing from the Hospital.
Dear in the Lord
In function of your good profile i want to solicit your assistance in the discharge of my will. I am Ghaith Arakkal from Kuwait i am aged 68 years
suffering from endometrial cancer and I live in Ivory Coast. I had no child and I am currently undergoing a great humiliation of my husband relatives.
Please, I want you help me create a charitable project with the money that I inherited from my deceased husband. It is my heart delate husbandsire to make a generous gift to you to work for a charity in your country.
I am currently on a sick bed and could not carry out the further process of sending all the details about the 3.5 Million Dollars deposited into a suspense account, I have informed the lawyer and hand over all the vital document to her due to my condition as i am going to face another surgery in few days from now due to thios illness, I informed the lawyer that you are a family friend of my late husband and its his duty to guard you with the legal process to enable you have the fund in your custody to start up the humanitarian work regarding my late husband wish. please endevour
Looking forward for your response.
Regards.
Ghaith Arakkal.
|
Anti-fraud resources:
