|
|
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:
- "beckywako17@qq.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Miss Rebecca Wako" <beckywako4life@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: beckywako17@qq.com
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2016 20:21:10 -0000
Subject: Urgent From: Miss Rebecca Wako
Sir/Madam
I am writing you this mail with my eyes full of tears and sorrow because
of the way we Christians are being killed by Terrorist Group (BOKO HARAM)
here in West Africa. My father was killed by the Boko Haram terrorist
group. See this:
http://www.voanews.com/content/nigeria-borno-state-attacks/2834003.html
My father was a great farmer and gold merchant. My uncles after the death
of my father seized all my father's properties and pursued me and my
mother out of the family house.
My father made a deposit of USD4.6 Million in one of the West African
countries which is unknown to my wicked uncles. My mother is afraid to
invest the fund here because my uncles will want to take everything again
from my mother.Hence,my mother decide that the money be moved outside our
country.
We contact you so that you will assist us receive the fund in your account
and also help us come over to your country to invest the fund.
Please you have to help us as soon as possible before my wicked uncles
kill my mother because I do not want to be an orphan at my age,17 years.
Please i want you to reply me urgently via my email: beckywako17@qq.com
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks and best regards,
Miss Rebecca Wako
|
Anti-fraud resources:
