|
|
joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
|
|
"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:
- 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. )
- "mtcn" (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. )
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "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.
- 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.
Fraud email example:
From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Western_Union=AE__Payments?= <wutransfer@o2.pl>
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2011 12:25:15 +0000
Subject: TRANSFER UPDATE!
**<http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.diamondbank.com/images/logo.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.diamondbank.com/careers.php&usg=__8z71-mhPq6TmD76N-xeKmqxaQbM=&h=77&w=197&sz=4&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=8m6TmK9BXiCRlM:&tbnh=41&tbnw=104&prev=/images?q%3Ddiamond%2Bbank%2Blogo%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1>
<https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.festivalsegou.org/logo%2520western%2520union.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.festivalsegou.org/Festival,%2520textpartners.htm&h=37&w=146&sz=21&tbnid=kzwP-QhFmZ0J:&tbnh=37&tbnw=146&prev=/images?q%3Dwestern%2Bunion%2Blogo&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=1>
* *
<https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.socgenyu.com/uploads/tx_templavoila/western_union_logo_en.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.socgenyu.com/index.php?id%3D1130&h=98&w=98&sz=4&tbnid=XM6pURDdUe8J:&tbnh=98&tbnw=98&prev=/images?q%3Dwestern%2Bunion%2Blogo&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=2>
* *<https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.elitecayman.com/Quickstart/ImageLib/WU_logo_bar_bar_yellow_on_black_background.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.elitecayman.com/page6.html&h=37&w=128&sz=9&tbnid=L7igBXLhwaoJ:&tbnh=37&tbnw=128&prev=/images?q%3Dwestern%2Bunion%2Blogo&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=3>
*Western Union** Payments*
[image: Dollars] * **
*
*DIAMOND BANK PLC** *
*Western Union** *
*Send Money Worldwide*
*Dr James Simpson*
*Add; 1704 New Market *
*Road **Cotonou Benin** Rep**.*
*Tel; +2299995714** *
*Attn;Dear Valued Customer,*
*A**fter the UN meeting held at pot novo the federal capital teretory (FCT)
Benin about the scam activities going on in Benin Republic the Federal
Government approved to pay 100 Benin Republic scam victims $1o0,000.00usd
each through the Diamond Bank Plc Western Union Money Transfer International
Payment Department Office for easy receive of fund without any further delay
to avoid paying money to the fraud stars that is going on through Courier
Company this days. *
**
*For us to move forward be informed that we can not be able to transfer the
hole amount at once hence you will be receiving the money instrumentally and
the maximum amount you will be receiving per a day starting from today or
tomorrow is $2500.00) and the MTCN # will be sent along with the Text
Questions & Answers for you to receive your fund through any Western Union
Location in your Country as soon as you fulfill your financial obligations
with this office.**
**
Now you are required to send $79.00 dollars to help us Re-new and
Re-confirm your international remittance file that was deposited in this
Bank, and be informed that this is the only money you will have to spend in
this and we will transfer your money to you immediately.Do reply also with
your name and address as directed below to avoid mistakes like transfering
to a wrong person. *
*Beneficiary name--------------**
Address------------------------------**
Tel phone----------------------------**
**
For further procedure get back to us urgently with your information as
requested above where to start sending the money because as soon the
required fee of (USD$79.00) is received today from you for the Renewing &
Reconfirming of the payment file of your funds you will start receiving your
funds as soon as possible without further delay as that is the only thing
holding us and we will transfer to you immediately.*
*Do send the ($79.00) dollars through western union with the name and
address below to enable us move forward immediately.*
*Receiver Name/.......... Onwuegbuka N. John
City/............ porto novo
Country/............Benin Republic
Text Question/............... A
Answer/...............B
Amount/...........$79.00
Sender's Name............
MTCN #....................*
* **
Send the payment details as soon as you send the money, we wait for your
urgent email with the payment information included with your address as
requested above. *
*
Yours in service,
*
*
Dr James Simpson
Diamond Bank Plc Benin
*
|
Anti-fraud resources:
