|
|
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.
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: John Okoji <agmwiwa@gmail.com>
Reply-To: baikujr@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2021 08:02:31 +0200
Subject: CAN YOU HANDLE THIS?
--
Dear Sir,
I am John Okoji, i was a personal assistant to a foreign contractor who
lived in my country for so many years before his demise. Unfortunately, he
died in an auto crash and shortly before his demise he made a cash deposit
of $42.M in a Finance Security company and since his death over a year now
there has been no successful move to locate his immediate family.
The company has requested i come up with his next of kin to receive the
fund but unfortunately he did not indicate any next of kin and he had no
child. It is in this regard am mailing you to partner with you to present
you to the company as his next of kin since you bear same surname with him.
I have perfected every documentation for the release of the $42.M with an
insider in the company, all you are required to do is just be honest to us
and follow my instructions and the fund will be released to you as the
beneficiary.
I have decided you'll have 30% of the fund while 60% is for me and a
director in the company that will fast track the deal while the remaining
10% will be for expenses in making this deal sail through.
If you are willing to know more about this deal get back to me asap.
Thank you,
John Okoji.
|
Anti-fraud resources:
