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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.
- 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:
- "required 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. )
- "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. )
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
- 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.
- 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.
- mofbr@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
- payment office. tel+229-98-76-54 fax+229-93-475-882. e-mail/ mofbr@hotmail.com the board of federal ministry of finance benin (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Dr Frank Harry <scottmorice@yahoo.com.au>
Reply-To: smithkosi@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2010 01:35:59 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Contact Him Today
Contact Him Today
MINISTRY OF FINANCE REPUBLIC OF BENIN
.FOREIGN CONTRACTOR PAYMENT OFFICE.
TEL+229-98-76-54 FAX+229-93-475-882.
e-mail/ mofbr@hotmail.com
The Board of Federal Ministry Of Finance Benin Republic are hereby notify you of your payment inheritance of $800.000.us only after the meeting held on 28th of April 2010. His Excellency the PRESIDENT OF FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF BENIN has Instructed this Department to send your funds through Western Union Money Transfer and Money gram respectively for easier receiving of your inherited funds without any further delay to avoid paying money to the fraudsters that is going on through the internet.
To effect this payment to you, you are required to send your receiver names and address in which you want to receive the money with through Western Union and the maximum amount you will be receiving each day starting from the very day you submitted your info is the sum of $14000.00. $7000.00 from western union $7000.00 from money gram. Also, your are required to send to him the sum of US$68. dollar only immediately for renewal and re-confirming of your file that was deposited in this office with your name and address bellow .
Your Receiver's Name:--
Address------------
Tel phone---------
CONTACT Barrister Smith Kosi with this informations below:
so that he will go for the renewal of your contract files,
L: +229 98-760-780.
EMAIL: smithkosi@hotmail.com
As soon as the required fee of $68.00 is send today for the renewal and reconfirming the payment file of your funds, you will start receiving your funds immediately.
So send the $68.00 dollar to him through western union with the name and address below:
Receiver's Name: ----------IKELIE CHUKWU
Address: City--------------------COTONOU
Country: -------------------BENIN REPUBLIC
Test Question---------------HONEST
Test Answer-----------------TRUST
Amount to send: ------------$68.00
We await to hear from you to know if you have send the money to him.
Yours faithfully in service,
Dr Frank Harry
Ministry of Finance
Federal Republic of Benin.
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