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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. )
- "registration fee" (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)
- "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
- 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 free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- insurance_apex1@yahoo.fr (Yahoo, France; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: mark Jimmy <m.jimmy43@yahoo.com.ph>
Reply-To: insurance_apex1@yahoo.fr
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2011 07:25:23 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: I HAVE PAID YOUR FEE QUICKLY CONTACT THE APEX INSURANCE COMPANY IMMEDIATELY
DEAREST ONE.
IT HAS BEEN LONG WE COMMUNICATE LAST, AM SORRY FOR THE DELAY AND YOU ALSO DELAYED FORRAISING THE FEE, I MEAN THE TRANSFER CHARGE THAT WAS HOLDING YOUR $2.5MILLION USD, WHICH YOU SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE HERE IN THIS WESTERN UNION NOW I HAVE PAID FEE THE NEEDED TO IMF ON YOUR BEHALF. BUT IMF DEMANDED THAT YOU NEED TO COME HERE TO SIGN AS THE BENEFICIARY OF THE FUNDS BUT THERE IS A FRIEND OF MINE WHO WORK WITH THE APEX INSURANCE COMPANY FOR LONG AND HE HAS AL LOT OF EXPERIENCE AND HE DELIVERY MANY ITEMS ETC. HE ADVISED ME TO PACKAGE YOUR MONEY AND PUT IT AS IN CONSIGNMENT BOX SO THAT THEY CAN HELP DELIVER IT TO YOUR DOOR STEP.LESS I FORGET THERE IS SMALL FEE FOR REGISTRATION WHICH I WANTED TO PAY BUT DUE TO I DON’T KNOW WHEN YOU WILL CONTACT THEM SO THEY ADVISED ME NOT TO PAY UNTIL YOU CONTACT THEM SO YOU ARE TO ARRANGING FOR THE SMALL FEE WHICH COMPANY MIGHTY ASK YOU FOR REGISTRATION OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX.
PRESENTLY YOUR MONEY HAS BEEN PACKAGED AS IN CONSIGNMENT BOX AND IS NOW WITH APEX INSURANCE COMPANY HERE IN BENIN REPUBLIC. THEREFORE, TO DELIVER THE CONSIGNMENT BOX TO YOUR DOOR STEP YOU ARE ADVICE TO SENDING YOUR RESIDENCE ADDRESS TO THEM AND IMMEDIATELY THEY RECEIVE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION THEY WILL DELIVER THE CONSIGNMENT TO YOU ONCE YOU SEND THE FEE FOR THE REGISTRATION OF CONSIGNMENT BOX TO THEM SO CONTACT THEM IMMEDIATELY WITH YOUR FULL DETAILS
AND ASK THEM HOW MUCH FOR THE REGISTRATION FEE SO THAT YOU CAN SEND IT TO THEM AND HAVE THE CONSIGNMENT DELIVERED TO YOU.
PERSONAL INFORMATION NEEDED.
NAME ==========
COUNTRY ====================
HOME CURRENT ADDRESS=======
BUSINESS ADDRESS============
TEL PHONE =====================
OCCUPATION====================
AGE===========================
SEX===========================
BELOW IS THEIR CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS :(insurance_apex1@yahoo.fr) NAME OF THE DIRECTOR IS DR.JOHN COFF.PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM IMMEDIATELY AND NOTE THAT ONCE YOU RECEIVE YOUR MONEY TRY TO REWARD ME FOR GOOD.
REGARDS
MIKE OBI
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