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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:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money-gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "mtcn" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "the consignment" (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)
- "consignment " (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)
- "million 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)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "diplomatrobertwilliams@tk.tc" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
Fraud email example:
From: "Diplomat Robert Williams." <robertwilliamsa@att.net>
Reply-To: diplomatrobertwilliams@tk.tc
Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 10:49:50 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: I JUST ARRIVED AT (JFK)INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT URGENT REPLY
Good day
I am diplomat Robert Williams; I have been trying to reach you on your telephone about an hour now just to inform you about my successful arrival in John F. Kennedy International Airport with your two boxes of consignment worth $1.5Million Dollars which I have been instructed by ECOWAS COURIER DELIVERY COMPANY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION COMMITTEE OF SCAM VICTIMS ORGANIZATION WORLD WILD to be delivered to you.
The airport authority demanded for the legal back up papers to prove that the funds is no way related to drug nor money laundry which i did presented to them and they were very much pleased with the papers i presented but the only thing that is still keeping me here is the airport delivery Tag which is not placed on the packages ( Funds ), one of the Airport Authority has advise that we get the delivery tag so that I can exit the airport immediately and make my delivery successful.
I try to reason with them and they stated the delivery tag will cost us just $99.00 Dollars only to get the two tag placed on the package because that tag will enable me get to your house successfully without any interference. They have scanned the package and found out that the fund is 100% spendable and accepted by any bank in the whole world. So they only thing still keeping me here is the airport delivery tag which is to be secured from our head office and sent over here to be placed on the consignment boxes so as to enable me proceed to meet with you.
So you are hereby advised to send the $99.00 through western union or money-gram to the information provided to you and get back to with the pick up details so i can forward it to our head office for them to pick up the money, secure the tag and direct it over here to be placed on the package so as to enable me proceed to meet with you. I hope everything is well understood. Below is the information to send the $99.00 for the tag to be secured and sent over to me here.
Sender's Name............
Receiver Name.............Roland Ejike.
Country................Benin Republic
City..................Cotonou
Text Question............In God.
Text Answer.............We Trust.
Amount..................$99.00 usd
MTCN....................
I am presently at the airport and before I can deliver the package (funds) to you, you have to reconfirm the following information so as to ensure that I am dealing with the right person: Please try and reach me with my international roaming number (+22997142157)as I can not afford to spend more time here due to other delivery I have to take care of in Bangkok.
1. Full Name
2. Residential Address
3. Age
4. Occupation
5. Direct Telephone Numbers
6. A Copy of Your Identification
After verification of the information with what I have on file, I shall contact you so that we can make arrangements on the exact time I will be bringing your package to your residential address.
Send the requested information so that we can proceed. Please, contact me through my most private email: ( diplomatrobertwilliams@tk.tc ) for further correspondences.
Regards,
Diplomat Robert Williams.
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