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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. )
- 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.
- +22548328816 (Cote d'Ivoire, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
Fraud email example:
From: global boutique <global_boutique200@yahoo.co.in>
Reply-To: global_boutique100@yahoo.co.in
Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2010 22:01:38 +0530 (IST)
Subject: RESERVATION FOR STAY
Attn Friend.
Â
I am Mr.Hassan Yao
Â
I wish to reserve 2 double room during the time of 10/07/2010 to 20/07/2010
I intend to pay before my arrival for more insurance by ( Visa, Master & Amex).
Have a terminal of remote taking away?
Â
Do you accepts credit card as a method of payment?
I would like that you help us to balance our problem of tickets with our travel agency FRANK FLIGHT based in Ivory coast because the person in charge has a problem with his terminal of credit card and asks us to pay by cash
Â
Our cash was transferred in travel check for our travel.
So I subject a possibility to you to help us,lift to you to see whether it is appreciate or not I will send to you several numbers of my credit cards with an authority of taking away on which you go to take via your terminal of CB:
Â
The total sum of my stay
The amount of the tickets (5,300€)
Expenses of transfer western union
Your commission of 700€
Â
I make a point of saying to you that the amount of the tickets must be dispatched via wester union in ivory coast to the person in charge for agency FRANK FLIGHT
For more facility you will communicate the gobal amount to me (rooms + fresh of tickets + fresh of transfer western union + commission)
As soon as I am informed of this I will immediately send my credit cards to you to begin the transactions because the person in charge await only this sum ensure us the travel
Â
Thank you
Best Regards
Mr. Hassan Yao
Tell +225 4832-8816
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Anti-fraud resources:
