Post by kas on Dec 19, 2010 11:01:57 GMT -5
What are 419 Scams?
An advance-fee fraud is a confidence trick in which the target is persuaded to advance sums of money in the hope of realizing a significantly larger gain.
secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/419_scams
419-scams are usually emails and letters in which large sums of money are requested for advance payments, transaction costs, custom payments etc. In some cases persons are made to believe that they have won a lotery or received a contract at a multinational in Nigeria. The financial transactions are, according to the letters or emails, all initiated by a company in The Netherlands or other European countries.
Although most people are aware of these 419-scams, the embassy would like to point out that these scams are widespread and are internationally known as "Nigerian bank fraud", "Nigerian advance fee-fraud", "419-fraud", etc.
There are some points to recognize "advance fee-fraud":
Advance Fee Fraud
Why the name "419"?
The so-called "419" scam (aka "Nigeria scam" or "West African" scam) is a type of fraud named after an article of the Nigerian penal code under which it is prosecuted.
www.419scam.org/
Here is a site of people that try their best to make the lives of the 419 scammers lives miserable and keep them busy so that they don't victimize others as often.
www.419eater.com/index.php
forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=32877
419 scams sometimes turn deadly for victims and are very serious!
In 2004 a 29 year old Greek man, George Makronalli, fell for a 419 scam. He traveled to South Africa as part of this 419 scam and was then kidnapped and killed when his family refused to pay the ransom. A day later, police found George's body in Durban. Both his legs and arms were broken and he had been set on fire - probably while he was still alive.
The news story is no longer available but using the "Wayback machine" I was able to find it.
Here is the story:
Some victims who are not asked to travel still end up on a dead end path because they sent all their savings and have nothing left.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cambridgeshire/3444307.stm
And another one (newer):
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/nottinghamshire/7380093.stm
More lives lost talked about in this thread:
forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=136874
But what do these 419 scams look like? I don't know if I have ever seen one myself and just not fell for it. I do get a lot of spam in my email..
www.bullguard.com/bullguard-security-center/security-articles/what-are-419-scams.aspx
One of the most well-known scams on the Internet is the 419 scam, also known as a Nigerian Advance Fee scam or a lottery scam. Arriving in your Inbox, the scam offers you huge financial rewards, if you first send a smaller amount to the fraudster to help make the big bucks accessible by covering expenses such as banking fees and administrative costs. If you take the bait, the scammers will continue to ask for money 'till kingdom come and of course the final payoff never happens.
A nigerian industry
419 scams have taken their name from the Nigerian legal code that they violate and they have been around since the start of this millenium, when online scammers operating out of Nigeria began defrauding victims of tens of millions of dollars. Quickly financial fraud became one of the three largest industries in Nigeria and in 2001 the scams had gotten so extensive that the U.S. government told the West African country to take steps to decrease 419 crimes or face sanctions.
Despite of these threats, fraudsters continued spitting out 419 scams and the idea spread to online scammers throughout the world. According to analysts, the total losses from 419 scams in 2005 were $520 million (£275m) in the UK and $720 million in the United States alone.
In June 2007, Dutch police arrested 111 suspected 419 scammers - many of which were from West Africa (mainly Nigeria) - following a seven-month investigation. And in August 2007, six men with ties to a West African 419 network were arrested in the Netherlands over an Internet scam that relieved a victim of $1.5m. Also in 2007, Dutch police arrested a Nigerian man - allegedly belonging to a major 419 scam operation - with €1.2m in his pockets.
So the traditional 419 scam is still around and we need to look no further back than January 2008 to find the latest massive attack, when about a dozen universities and colleges in the US and some European schools were hit.
You've won the lottery!
A recent twist on the 419 scam is the "fake check" scam, in which con artist emails you to tell you've won the lottery and a check soon arrives. You deposit it and wire back a so-called processing fee – and before you realize that the original check was fake, your money is gone. According to the National Consumers League in the US, fake check scams have now become the third most prevalent form of Internet fraud.
During eight months of 2007, the US Postal Service intercepted more than $2 billion in bad checks bound for the United States, originating from places like Nigeria and the Netherlands. And in October 2007, thousands of fake checks worth about £8m ($16.2m) were seized in Nigeria in an attack on international email scams. The checks were destined for the UK, intended to be offered as prizes in exchange for a fee.
Other recent variants on the 419 theme include love schemes taking advantage of lonely hearts on dating sites. The scammer promises to move and the victim receives a fake check for travel expenses and is asked to wire money back to the scammer. Naturally, the dream lover never shows up.
Bullguard Internet Security Center
You can read copies of 419 emails posted here to see what they look like:
419scams.tblog.com/archive/2005/07/
Also more information links:
www.fraudaid.com/ScamSpeak/Nigerian/counterfeit_check_fraud/counterfeit_check_01.htm
Sites to help those who have been victimized by a 419 scam:
www.scampatrol.org/
www.fraudaid.com/index.htm
www.scamvictimsunited.com/
Message from the United States of America Government Secret Service:
www.secretservice.gov/criminal.shtml
another good link:
www.scamwarners.com/
An advance-fee fraud is a confidence trick in which the target is persuaded to advance sums of money in the hope of realizing a significantly larger gain.
secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/419_scams
419-scams are usually emails and letters in which large sums of money are requested for advance payments, transaction costs, custom payments etc. In some cases persons are made to believe that they have won a lotery or received a contract at a multinational in Nigeria. The financial transactions are, according to the letters or emails, all initiated by a company in The Netherlands or other European countries.
Although most people are aware of these 419-scams, the embassy would like to point out that these scams are widespread and are internationally known as "Nigerian bank fraud", "Nigerian advance fee-fraud", "419-fraud", etc.
There are some points to recognize "advance fee-fraud":
- there is a large sum of money (or products) involved, legal or illegal, received from a lottery, an investment scheme, oil, real estate etc. who are available for the receiver in case he will pay certain fees to free the money (or products).
- to start the transaction the receiver must contact a person from a Dutch (or international) company established in The Netherlands.
- the person at the company has to be approached by (cell) phone, the numbers in the Netherlands always starts with 0031 (06)......
- the company and addresses involved can not be verified in the yellow pages or at the chamber of commerce.
- sometimes people are invited to travel to the Netherlands to finalise the transaction and payments of the "advance fee".
Advance Fee Fraud
Why the name "419"?
The so-called "419" scam (aka "Nigeria scam" or "West African" scam) is a type of fraud named after an article of the Nigerian penal code under which it is prosecuted.
www.419scam.org/
Here is a site of people that try their best to make the lives of the 419 scammers lives miserable and keep them busy so that they don't victimize others as often.
www.419eater.com/index.php
forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=32877
419 scams sometimes turn deadly for victims and are very serious!
In 2004 a 29 year old Greek man, George Makronalli, fell for a 419 scam. He traveled to South Africa as part of this 419 scam and was then kidnapped and killed when his family refused to pay the ransom. A day later, police found George's body in Durban. Both his legs and arms were broken and he had been set on fire - probably while he was still alive.
The news story is no longer available but using the "Wayback machine" I was able to find it.
Here is the story:
SA cops, Interpol probe murder
31/12/2004 12:31 - (SA)
Philip de Bruin , Beeld
Interpol and the police forces of South Africa, America and Greece have joined forces to investigate the brutal murder of a wealthy Greek national whose badly mutilated body was found in Durban shortly before Christmas.
George Makronalli, 29, was a victim of a notorious 419 fraud scheme.
He was apparently lured to the country under the pretence that he could earn hundreds of thousands of rands. He was then kidnapped and summarily killed when his family refused to pay the ransom.
A spokesperson for the Durban police confirmed on Thursday that Makronalli was a victim of a 419 syndicate.
Caught in a trap
The syndicate issued a statement on the internet in which they claimed that they had stolen about R150m from the South African government by submitting false claims for "contracts" and that they needed help from overseas to get the money out of the country.
Whoever was willing to help them, would receive a large part of the "profit". Makronalli was caught with this ruse. He reacted to the "invitation" and was convinced to come to South Africa in November.
He returned to Greece, but re-entered South Africa through Johannesburg International Airport at the request of syndicate members on December 18. He then disappeared.
When his brother, Sotirus Makronelli, from Los Angeles, could not establish contact with him for two days, he contacted Interpol and the American police. The police spokesperson said Sotirus allegedly also invested money in the 419 scheme.
Shortly after, Sotirus received an e-mail from the syndicate in which they informed him that they had kidnapped his brother and demanded that $160 000 (about R1m) be deposited in an American bank account within 24 hours. They threatened to kill George if their demands were not met.
The ransom was not paid. A day later, police found George's body in Durban. Both his legs and arms were broken and he had been set alight - probably while he was still alive.
"This was a blatant execution after a failed demand. Mr Makronalli's suitcases full of clothes and travel documents were found with his body. Robbery was not the motive," the police spokesperson said.
Nobody has been arrested, but the police's unit against serious violent crime in Durban and the 419 task team from Johannesburg are investigating the murder with the assistance of Interpol and the American and Greek police services.
31/12/2004 12:31 - (SA)
Philip de Bruin , Beeld
Interpol and the police forces of South Africa, America and Greece have joined forces to investigate the brutal murder of a wealthy Greek national whose badly mutilated body was found in Durban shortly before Christmas.
George Makronalli, 29, was a victim of a notorious 419 fraud scheme.
He was apparently lured to the country under the pretence that he could earn hundreds of thousands of rands. He was then kidnapped and summarily killed when his family refused to pay the ransom.
A spokesperson for the Durban police confirmed on Thursday that Makronalli was a victim of a 419 syndicate.
Caught in a trap
The syndicate issued a statement on the internet in which they claimed that they had stolen about R150m from the South African government by submitting false claims for "contracts" and that they needed help from overseas to get the money out of the country.
Whoever was willing to help them, would receive a large part of the "profit". Makronalli was caught with this ruse. He reacted to the "invitation" and was convinced to come to South Africa in November.
He returned to Greece, but re-entered South Africa through Johannesburg International Airport at the request of syndicate members on December 18. He then disappeared.
When his brother, Sotirus Makronelli, from Los Angeles, could not establish contact with him for two days, he contacted Interpol and the American police. The police spokesperson said Sotirus allegedly also invested money in the 419 scheme.
Shortly after, Sotirus received an e-mail from the syndicate in which they informed him that they had kidnapped his brother and demanded that $160 000 (about R1m) be deposited in an American bank account within 24 hours. They threatened to kill George if their demands were not met.
The ransom was not paid. A day later, police found George's body in Durban. Both his legs and arms were broken and he had been set alight - probably while he was still alive.
"This was a blatant execution after a failed demand. Mr Makronalli's suitcases full of clothes and travel documents were found with his body. Robbery was not the motive," the police spokesperson said.
Nobody has been arrested, but the police's unit against serious violent crime in Durban and the 419 task team from Johannesburg are investigating the murder with the assistance of Interpol and the American and Greek police services.
Some victims who are not asked to travel still end up on a dead end path because they sent all their savings and have nothing left.
Friday, 30 January, 2004, 11:35 GMT
Suicide of internet scam victim
A man died after setting himself on fire when he was cheated in an internet money-laundering scam, an inquest heard.
Leslie Fountain's body was discovered in a field in Fen Ditton, Cambridgeshire, on his 48th birthday, days after he thought he had won $1.2 million in an internet lottery.
Mr Fountain, a senior technician at Anglia Polytechnic University, had debts of £25,000 and thought the win would solve all his financial problems.
When he realised he had been tricked he became depressed, the inquest at Shire Hall, Cambridge, was told.
Can of petrol
He spent the evening before his death trying to access his winnings through the internet but became increasingly frustrated as he realised he was not going to get the money.
The following morning Mr Fountain, of Woottens Close, Comberton, near Cambridge, bought a can of petrol and left a message for his wife, Roberta, saying he could no longer "handle things".
His badly burned body was found shortly after 1100 GMT on 18 November last year with a petrol can and matches lying nearby.
A post-mortem examination showed he died of injuries suffered in the fire.
Detective Sergeant Alan Page told the inquest that officers found Mr Fountain had been taken in by an internet scam which had been run from Amsterdam and was now being investigated by Interpol.
Money laundering
The operation involved emailing people to tell them they had won and asking for bank account details so the money could be transferred.
Instead, the accounts were used for laundering money.
Deputy Coroner Dr Colin Lattimore recorded a verdict of suicide and said: "Mr Fountain killed himself while suffering from depression, caused by what would have been good news but turned out to be very bad news."
After the inquest Mr Page warned other internet users to be careful of cash scams.
"Anyone who gets an email saying they have won lots of money like this should ignore it and never pass on their bank details. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," he said.
Suicide of internet scam victim
A man died after setting himself on fire when he was cheated in an internet money-laundering scam, an inquest heard.
Leslie Fountain's body was discovered in a field in Fen Ditton, Cambridgeshire, on his 48th birthday, days after he thought he had won $1.2 million in an internet lottery.
Mr Fountain, a senior technician at Anglia Polytechnic University, had debts of £25,000 and thought the win would solve all his financial problems.
When he realised he had been tricked he became depressed, the inquest at Shire Hall, Cambridge, was told.
Can of petrol
He spent the evening before his death trying to access his winnings through the internet but became increasingly frustrated as he realised he was not going to get the money.
The following morning Mr Fountain, of Woottens Close, Comberton, near Cambridge, bought a can of petrol and left a message for his wife, Roberta, saying he could no longer "handle things".
His badly burned body was found shortly after 1100 GMT on 18 November last year with a petrol can and matches lying nearby.
A post-mortem examination showed he died of injuries suffered in the fire.
Detective Sergeant Alan Page told the inquest that officers found Mr Fountain had been taken in by an internet scam which had been run from Amsterdam and was now being investigated by Interpol.
Money laundering
The operation involved emailing people to tell them they had won and asking for bank account details so the money could be transferred.
Instead, the accounts were used for laundering money.
Deputy Coroner Dr Colin Lattimore recorded a verdict of suicide and said: "Mr Fountain killed himself while suffering from depression, caused by what would have been good news but turned out to be very bad news."
After the inquest Mr Page warned other internet users to be careful of cash scams.
"Anyone who gets an email saying they have won lots of money like this should ignore it and never pass on their bank details. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," he said.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cambridgeshire/3444307.stm
And another one (newer):
13:27 GMT, Friday, 2 May 2008 14:27 UK
Web scam drove student to suicide
An inquest has been told how a university student killed herself after falling victim to an internet scam.
Jaiyue Wang, 23, gave more than £6,000 in the belief she had won half a million pounds in a lottery after being contacted over the internet.
She arrived in Britain last summer from Hainan in China to study at the University of Nottingham.
Recording a suicide verdict, Nottingham coroner Dr Nigel Chapman said her death, in April, was a tragedy.
Vulnerable woman
He said: "A young university student - doesn't speak very much English, her parents don't speak English - been coming across to one of the great universities but has taken her own life because of a scam from Nigeria."
Ms Wang was found hanged at her home in Beeston last month.
Jonathan Ray, a University of Nottingham spokesman, said: "Obviously anybody who hears this story will just feel that it's a despicable exploitation of a vulnerable person whatever their status or location in life.
"It's just deeply sad that the young woman was so badly hit by what happened to her just before Christmas."
Web scam drove student to suicide
An inquest has been told how a university student killed herself after falling victim to an internet scam.
Jaiyue Wang, 23, gave more than £6,000 in the belief she had won half a million pounds in a lottery after being contacted over the internet.
She arrived in Britain last summer from Hainan in China to study at the University of Nottingham.
Recording a suicide verdict, Nottingham coroner Dr Nigel Chapman said her death, in April, was a tragedy.
Vulnerable woman
He said: "A young university student - doesn't speak very much English, her parents don't speak English - been coming across to one of the great universities but has taken her own life because of a scam from Nigeria."
Ms Wang was found hanged at her home in Beeston last month.
Jonathan Ray, a University of Nottingham spokesman, said: "Obviously anybody who hears this story will just feel that it's a despicable exploitation of a vulnerable person whatever their status or location in life.
"It's just deeply sad that the young woman was so badly hit by what happened to her just before Christmas."
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/nottinghamshire/7380093.stm
More lives lost talked about in this thread:
forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=136874
But what do these 419 scams look like? I don't know if I have ever seen one myself and just not fell for it. I do get a lot of spam in my email..
www.bullguard.com/bullguard-security-center/security-articles/what-are-419-scams.aspx
Dear Sir, I'm writing to you on behalf of a Nigerian government contractor …
One of the most well-known scams on the Internet is the 419 scam, also known as a Nigerian Advance Fee scam or a lottery scam. Arriving in your Inbox, the scam offers you huge financial rewards, if you first send a smaller amount to the fraudster to help make the big bucks accessible by covering expenses such as banking fees and administrative costs. If you take the bait, the scammers will continue to ask for money 'till kingdom come and of course the final payoff never happens.
A nigerian industry
419 scams have taken their name from the Nigerian legal code that they violate and they have been around since the start of this millenium, when online scammers operating out of Nigeria began defrauding victims of tens of millions of dollars. Quickly financial fraud became one of the three largest industries in Nigeria and in 2001 the scams had gotten so extensive that the U.S. government told the West African country to take steps to decrease 419 crimes or face sanctions.
Despite of these threats, fraudsters continued spitting out 419 scams and the idea spread to online scammers throughout the world. According to analysts, the total losses from 419 scams in 2005 were $520 million (£275m) in the UK and $720 million in the United States alone.
In June 2007, Dutch police arrested 111 suspected 419 scammers - many of which were from West Africa (mainly Nigeria) - following a seven-month investigation. And in August 2007, six men with ties to a West African 419 network were arrested in the Netherlands over an Internet scam that relieved a victim of $1.5m. Also in 2007, Dutch police arrested a Nigerian man - allegedly belonging to a major 419 scam operation - with €1.2m in his pockets.
So the traditional 419 scam is still around and we need to look no further back than January 2008 to find the latest massive attack, when about a dozen universities and colleges in the US and some European schools were hit.
You've won the lottery!
A recent twist on the 419 scam is the "fake check" scam, in which con artist emails you to tell you've won the lottery and a check soon arrives. You deposit it and wire back a so-called processing fee – and before you realize that the original check was fake, your money is gone. According to the National Consumers League in the US, fake check scams have now become the third most prevalent form of Internet fraud.
During eight months of 2007, the US Postal Service intercepted more than $2 billion in bad checks bound for the United States, originating from places like Nigeria and the Netherlands. And in October 2007, thousands of fake checks worth about £8m ($16.2m) were seized in Nigeria in an attack on international email scams. The checks were destined for the UK, intended to be offered as prizes in exchange for a fee.
Other recent variants on the 419 theme include love schemes taking advantage of lonely hearts on dating sites. The scammer promises to move and the victim receives a fake check for travel expenses and is asked to wire money back to the scammer. Naturally, the dream lover never shows up.
Bullguard Internet Security Center
You can read copies of 419 emails posted here to see what they look like:
419scams.tblog.com/archive/2005/07/
Also more information links:
www.fraudaid.com/ScamSpeak/Nigerian/counterfeit_check_fraud/counterfeit_check_01.htm
Sites to help those who have been victimized by a 419 scam:
www.scampatrol.org/
www.fraudaid.com/index.htm
www.scamvictimsunited.com/
Message from the United States of America Government Secret Service:
www.secretservice.gov/criminal.shtml
another good link:
www.scamwarners.com/