|
|
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:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "huge sum of money" (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: "ROMEO AMBER" (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2017 10:07:14 -0500
Subject: URGENT: KINDLY REVERT.
Hello Sir/Ma
How are you doing? I hope you are good. I will go straight to the point. i have a business deal to propose to you and i humbly plea you to treat this email as confidencial.I am a Financial Manager with a top UK bank and so I have worked here for a little more than 12 years now, I was the personal accountant to one Engineer (Name witheld for security reasons)a foreign contractor with Royal Dutch Plc who has an investment account with my bank. Unfortunately my client died along with his nuclear family at France while sabbatical in the summer of 2007, may their soul rest in peace. Leaving a HUGE SUM OF MONEY, He died without leaving a will. Several efforts were made to find his extended family through your embassy without success. I received a notice last week to provide the next of kin of Our demised client (name witheld for security reasons) being his accountant or the account risk been transferred to the government (es-cheat) in 21 days time. I am contacting you to assist me in claiming the funds left behin
both share the same LAST NAME. This claim will be executed without breaching any UK laws and success is guaranteed if we cooperate on this. The bank will release the account to you because of your last name and my recommendation of you as the Next of Kin and i propose a fair percentage between both of us. If you are interested in my proposal, kindly send me an Email, I will reply you with the information on how we can claim the money in the account successfully as well as My INTERNATIONAL IDENTIFICATION PASSPORT (TO BUILD A TRUST) if not i want to apologize for bothering you with this, I will never write you on this again." Best Regards ROMEO AMBER
|
Anti-fraud resources:
