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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Drazzell Benben/WU Manager" <allmessa----esa@att.net>
Reply-To: western.unionoffice0210@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2011 05:35:17 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Dear Western Union Customer!



Dear Western Union Customer!

Information reaching us from our corporate headquarters now, states that you only have 72-hours to effect payment for the activation of your MTCN# to enable you cash up your first payment of US$5,000:00 from your total (fund) since you were finding it difficult to make this payment we have decided that you are to go ahead and pay whatever you have for the activation fee since you were not able to come up with the required sum, time is of the essence here.

This is the same western union that you are dealing with and we are doing it for your New Year gift, so go and send any amount of money that you have at hand from US$69.00 upward, we will activate your MTCN# and send to you today, upon receipt of this payment. and also remember that your total fund is $500.000.00 United State Dollars.

Be inform that you will have to pay the balance sum of your activation upon cashing up of your first payment of $5,000:00 usd, also I am using this medium to inform you that failure to pay the balance sum will leave us with no option but to deactivate your MTCN# of which you will and can never cash up the balance sum. So I want you to send the amount you have at hand from US$69.00 usd upward With this information below. And update us amount that you send and the MTCN#.

1.Receiver name_______Anagor Lawrence Ifezue
2.Country_____________Benin Republic.
3.City________________Cotonou .
4.Test Question_______Honest
5.Test answer_________Trust.
6.Amount____________?
MTCN#_____________?

Send us the MTCN# immediately you send the money and immediately we confirm the transfer fee we will send you the first receipt of your $5000 today and not tomorrow Regards our direct email address western.unionoffice0210@gmail.com

Mr. Drazzell Benben
Western Union Manager.
Tel +229 9829 2981

Anti-fraud resources: