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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:
- "activation 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. )
- "money transfer control number" (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)
- 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.
- 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.
- western_union0333@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Robert Williams" <robertwilliams55555@yahoo.com.ph>
Reply-To: western_union0333@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:22:52 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: HERE IS (M.T.C.N):8226623510 ON NOVEMBER 10TH
ATTENTION!!!!
This office wishes to notifies you that today is the day we have been waiting for to start the transfer in your name, Here Is the Payment information of your first transfer.The order is that you can be able to recieve ($56,000.00) daily if possible and allowed by your country, therefore be advice to send to us the names of any member of you family so that we can make payment in the names as well, finaly i want you to be very sure that any name must have a valid identity to be able to pick any money from western union.your first payment trasfer sharge is $47.00 and you have to send it to the bellow and foward the mtcn number with your personal phone for activation alert massages.this activation fee is compulsory, NOTE !!! Do not go for the claim untill after you paid your transfer fee ($47.00) here is reciever info, then i will send to you an approved massage to go for the claim of your first $3000 reciever......MMADUKA IKELI
country........benin republic
city ......................cotonou
amount.................$47.00
text question...........when?
answer.....................today
Money Transfer Control Number (M.T.C.N):8226623510 MTCN #---------------------------8226623510Sender's First name-------------OZEKWESender's Last name--------LAWRENCESecurity Question: .......God dayanswer--------------------------GoodAmount: $3000
You can lo-gin to western union website https://wumt.westernunion.com/asp/orderStatus.asp?country=globalor call westernglobal-confirmation line +18003256000make sure that you send the money as soon as your bank opens this morning REMITANCE DIRECTORMr. Robert Williams +22999547263E-MAIL ...(western_union0333@hotmail.com)
HERE IS (M.T.C.N):8226623510 ON NOVEMBER 10TH
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Anti-fraud resources:
