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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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. )
- "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)
- "robertobochniia@live.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- 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.
Fraud email example:
From: "Dr. Roberto Bochnia" <robertobochniaalert@live.com>
Reply-To: robertobochniia@live.com
Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:42:58 +0100 (BST)
Subject: THE MATTER HAS BEN RESOLVED
FROM THE DESK OF DR. ROBERTO BOCHNIA.FEDERAL
MINISTRY OF FINANCIAL REPUBLIC OF BENIN .FOREIGN CONTRACTOR PAYMENT
DEPARTMENT.
Email:(robertobochniia@live.com
)
Attn: Client,
The management and control of all finances
of the Government as prescribed by the constitution of the country is the
responsibility of the Ministry of Finance to handle your /debts.
Because it is this week Monday that
we discovered through our security investigation report that your
payment inherited funds of ($800.000.00) is still in the hands of western union
office in Benin
here.
We therefore resolved to withdrawed your
inherited funds of ($800.000.00) back from the hands of Western Union to avoid
loosing the funds because all the instruction that we gave them last past
concerning your payment was failed without them informing us.
So now your fund is no longer with western union again, is
with us
Finance Minister Federal
Republic
of Benin so you don't need to contact any western union in Benin again
all you need is to go any western union office near your home to pick up your
information once you get this message ok I am here to
handle your transfer and already i sent you first information $6.000.00 this
morning through ECO BANK BENIN the fee you have to send me now is the ECO BANK
postage alert fee $68.00 only.
They issued the first information in my name Dr
Roberto Bochnia below the info.
MTCN Number:9108268590
Sender First Name:Roberto
Sender Last
Name:Bochnia
Amount : $6.000.00
If you want to track it
before sending the postage fee enter below the website
https://wumt.westernunion.com/asp/orderStatus.asp?country=global
Send the fee in name of our secretary Mr Ozekwe
Emmaunel
Send the fee through western union with
below information.
Receiver Name OZEKWE EMMAUNEL
Text Question In God?
Text Answer We
Trust
Amount Sent $68.00
Country Benin
Republic Cotonou
Yours in
service
Dr. Roberto Bochnia.
Federal Ministry of Finance
Republic of Benin.
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