joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
 Free trial for 30 days
   jwSpamSpy
Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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:

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:06:52 +0100
Subject: WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER


=C2=A0
Send Money Worldwide
From The Desk Of WESTERN UNION REMMITANCE DEPT
=C2=A0
Our Ref:WUMT0XX2/987=C2=A0
GOOD NEWS,
=C2=A0
There is an issue with the WESTERN UNION MONEY=C2=A0TRANSFER UNITED UNITE=
D KINGDOM in the amount of $1.2 Million=C2=A0directed in cash credited to=
file KTU/9023118308/03, at the owner of this email address . The INTERNA=
TIONAL MONETARY FUND contacted us for=C2=A0the release of your money=C2=A0=
a couple of hours ago due to your allocated security code.
=C2=A0
They said that they choose to send it to you throug western union instead=
of courrier services because there's many fake courrier company here so =
we dont trust any of them. We are unable to complete=C2=A0a transfer dire=
cted at an email address,so we require some more information in order to =
complete this transfer.
=C2=A0
FULL NAME:
FULL CONTACT ADDRESS:
MOBILE PHONE NUMBER:
MARITAL STATUS AND AGE:
=C2=A0
CONTACT THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER WITH THIS=C2=A0E-MAIL westerrnun=
ion8@live.fr=C2=A0Phone number +229-9784-3997
Note: That this is not one of those Nigerian/African scams that all they =
are after is to ripe you off your money and at the end you wil not receiv=
e your funds, but note that this is no scam and is directly from the Mana=
gement of Western Union Money Transfer Benin Republic Head Office and our=
Motto is To Serve You Better. we will be sending you $5000 usd eve ry da=
y because to transfer the total money $1.2 million usd to your account wi=
ll cost you big money for the transfering Fee.that is why united nations =
give us order to be sending you $5000 usd every day,
=C2=A0
Contact us on our=20
E-mail; westerrnunion8@live.fr=C2=A0
Phone number +229-9784-3997
Director=C2=A0Name Ckuks=C2=A0Onyejekwe=20
=C2=A0
also note that you would be receiveing $5000 for each transfer that's how=
we are going pay you your $1.2million usd $5000 usd per a transfer.
THE MANAGEMENT OF WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER, BENIN HEAD OFFICE.
DISPATCHED THIS DAY

BEST REGARDS,

=C2=A0MR MIKE JOHN=C2=A0
303)

Western Union=C2=AE=20
Welcome to Western Union
Send Money Worldwide

Registered =C2=A9 2007 - 2008 Western Union Money Transfer. All Right Res=
erved=20
This email is intended for the named recipient only and may contain privi=
legde and confidential information. If you have received this email in er=
ror, please notify us immediately. Please do not disclose the contents to=
anyone or copy it to outside parties
=C2=A0
=C2=A0
=C2=A0
=C2=A0





Anti-fraud resources: