|
|
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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "transfer of your funds" (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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- theobi555@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Eng Marvin Smith" <mlab@mfilanowicz.com>
Reply-To: theobi555@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 02 Feb 2017 05:25:57 -0800
Subject: Thanks.
Attn:
This is to notify you of new order on the release of your fund. Prior to this proceeding anomaly, we have been mandated by President of Federal Republic of Nigeria to make sure all our debtors received their long awaiting fund within the next five working days from date.
But in your own case, we found some complicity in your payment file due to petition file by one Mr. Zain Rashid from United States of America that he is your Lawyer and that are dead, again in your will when you are a life that we should hand over the ownership of your fund that is still unclaimed to him. So he now wants us to transfer your fund to his own account that is stated below.
Bank of America
New York Branch
A/C: 0911667701
Swift Code: BA09
Beneficiary: Zain industries Ltd
Kindly get in touch with us today by email (theobi555@yahoo.com) or phone number(+2348095340477) with your telephone number to confirm this information to avoid wrong transfer of your funds, so that we can proceed with the transfer of the US$10,000,000.00 to your correct bank account as scheduled.
Eng Marvin Smith
|
Anti-fraud resources:
