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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. )
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
- 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.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +229 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. GREG JOHNSON" <info.gregj@gmail.com>
Reply-To: info.williams011@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2011 11:13:45 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Re-Pick up the cash
My Greetings to you ,
I write to inform you that your funds has been called up for payment and specially encoded to prevent any unlawful withdrawal or diversion . and transfer will be completed upon your immediate compliance .you will receive the ATM CARD to pick up the cash at any convenient bank locate in your area or you can order for Cashier cheque .from the rules guiding this payment you as the the beneficiary will pay for the dispatch fee $30 to ensure this funds get to you on time with maximum security . upon sending the fee we will commence immediate. send the money to enable us proceed by western union or money gram to our project officer:
Senders Name-----
Recivers name---- Kelvin O. Omokwe
Destination country --- Benin Republic
City and state -- Cotonou
Zip code --- +229
Question----What Color?
Answer---Blue
Amount---------$30
MTCN--------
We promise to give you our professional services. As soon as you send the money, kindly forward the MTCN to me/ attachement of the western union only. Note that we have no legal right to deduct or add to the value of your funds because your payment has already been keyed into the system for final transfer, thus the compliance with this condition this payment will reach you within 24 banking hour or less.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Greg Johnson
International Clearing House West Africa- BENIN
Affiliate to the World Association of Debt Management
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Anti-fraud resources:
