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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:
- "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. )
- "tax clearance" (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. )
- "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.)
- "tax clearance" (Tax offices mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. Even after you pay their fake tax demands you will still not receive the non-existent funds you have been promised. )
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- 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.
- westernunionbenin2010@superposta.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Dr Mrs Veronica Amadi <trinityzora@yahoo.de>
Reply-To: dvamadiiveronica@aol.com
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2010 14:31:13 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Attention Customer
Attention Customer
There is an issue involving $3.7MUSD which was called to Our Bank(CAPITAL CITY BANK) from THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE OF BENIN REPUBLIC concerning your compensation of $3.700,000.00 USD has been forwarded to Western Union Money Transfer and An instruction has come directly from Mr.Jona yayi of Ministry Of Finance.
He asked us to start sending your fund installmentally $5000 per a day through western union money transfer.This type of transfer means you will be recieving $5000 every day through western union until the total of $3.7MUSD is completely transfered to you.
Today,our bank has effected your first payment of $5000 through western union.Now you have to Contact Dr.Morris Boni on his contact below as he is the person incharge of your payment.The Western union Agent is: Name: Dr.Morris Boni Email: westernunionbenin2010@superposta.com
(Phone number: +229 98 464 139)
Money sent Through Cornelis Zwaagstra, amount sent $5,000.00 to you today. So contact Dr.Morris Boni on above email address and tell him to give you needed information and also for him to help you pick the $5,000.00.
Recomfirm your address;
(1)Your Full name: ................
(2)Your Phone number: ...................
(3)Your Contact address: ..................
(4)Your Age: ....................................
You will also have to send them the tax clearance charges of $135usd [as per the instruction from the International Monetary Fund(I.M.F office)]Pls contact Dr.Morris Boni ASAP and send them the fee for them to send you the pick up information for your first $5000 payment.
Barrister Kelvin David
Yours in Service
Cotonou,Benin Republic
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Anti-fraud resources:
