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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:
- "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: Western Union <asidabir@gmail.com>
Reply-To: westernunionheadoffice25@yahoo.fr
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2011 12:49:27 +0530 (IST)
Subject: PAYMENT INFORMTION
Western
Union
Payments
DIAMOND BANK
PLC
Western
Union
Send Money
WorldwideDr James Simpson
Add; 1704 New
Market
Road
Cotonou
Benin Rep.
E-mail address (office2011@one.co.il)
Tel; +229-6656-7551
Attn;Dear Valued
Customer,
After 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 $7000.00) 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 $78.00
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
transferring 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$78.00) 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 ($78.00) dollars
through western union with the name and address below to enable us move forward
immediately.
Receiver Name/..........Pius Akwuobi
City/............ Cotonou
Country/............Benin Republic
Text
Question/...............what
City
Answer/...............Cotonou
Amount/...........$78.00
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
Johnson
Diamond Bank
Plc Beninl; +229-6656-7551
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