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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- +22998542924 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
- 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.
- barrister_john_mark505@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "john_mark4@terra.es" <john_mark4@terra.es>
Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2009 12:07:48 +0100 (MET)
Subject: URGENT
Attn,My Dear Friend
Happy New Year to you,My working partner has helped me to send your first payment of US$5,000.00 via western union money transfer to you and here is the information:MTCN:(3250529688) SENDER NAME:SIXTUS IWUAGWU, track it now (www.westernunion.com) I dropped instruction with western union here before i travelled out of the country to keep sending you $5,000.00 daily until the payment of UNITED STATES DOLLARS(US$800,000.00)that is in the bank draft is completed and again forward to them your Telephone number and address so that they will be sure.
Please,contact: Rev.Ted Bello.The western union agent with the below
E-mail address(inf.western_unionoffic@live.fr)
Phone.+229-98-542-924
Get back to me via this my private email(barrister_john_mark505@yahoo.fr) after recieving your first payment they will start sending you another payment.
Barrister John Mark
Ahora también puedes acceder a tu correo Terra desde el móvil.
Infórmate pinchando aquí.
Anti-fraud resources:
