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joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
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"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:
- "hundred thousand united state dollars" (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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: W H O <tonicnadcompany@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Narcdje1@outlook.com
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2022 08:38:16 +0100
Subject: Re: THE WORLD IN ACTION
Greetings
Due to the recent unrest in the Russia/Ukraine War , The WTO (World trade
Organization) in Partnership with WHO (World Health Organization) are
repatriating the investments and priorities of some business Individuals
from the War Zone as the world leaders has sanctioned 12 Russians
Billionaires who are close ally to President Putin . One of the affected
Russian business-magnate and oligarch ( Alisher Burkhanovich Usmanov ) with
the help of WTO and WHO is urgently seeking for interested partners /
bodies to assist in the investment redeployment to their countries in other
to avoid NATO and US from confiscating his assets in South Africa.
We tried reaching at you as your email and name emerged among the
prospective recipient the claim the value sum of Twenty-two million Two
hundred thousand United State dollars only, which Mr Alisher Burkhanovich
Usmanov deposited with International Organizations Unit in Pretoria South
Africa, so we wait you to contact us without further delay for
disbursement.
Regards
Narciso Antonio
International Organizations Unit
Pretoria South Africa
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Anti-fraud resources: