|
|
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:
- "million pounds" (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 "dying widow" scam.
- 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.
- pleasehelpthelmamorgan@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: S Thelma Morgan <aderitobaptista4009@gmail.com>
Reply-To: pleasehelpthelmamorgan@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2021 08:40:37 -0700
Subject: MRS MORGAN
..Hello I am Mrs. Thelma Morgan, suffering from cancerous ailment. I was
married to Mr. Dexter Morgan, my husband worked with Chevron/Texaco in
the United Kingdom for twenty years. My late husband deposited the sum
of £6.5 Million Pounds (Six Million Five Hundred Thousand British
Pounds Sterling) with a Bank in United Kingdom. Recently my Doctor
told me that I have limited days to live due to the stroke and
cancerous problems I am suffering from.
I have decided to donate this fund to you and I want you to use this
my late husband’s effort to fund the upkeep of widows and charities
worldwide.
I took this decision because I do not have any child that will inherit
this money and my husband's relatives are bourgeois and very wealthy
persons and I do not want my husband's hard earned money to be misused
God bless you.
Mrs. Thelma S. Morgan
pleasehelpthelmamorgan@gmail.com
|
Anti-fraud resources:
