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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:
- "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. )
- "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
- "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?= <pepper1926@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: wu.union983@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:26:18 -0800 (PST)
Subject: HAPPY CHRISTMAS WITH YOUR FAMILY
Welcome to Western Union
Send Money Worldwide
WESTERN UNION HEAD OFFICE DEPARTMENT
REPUBLIC OF BENIN.
FOREGN CONTRACTOR PAYMENT OFFICE
TELEPHONE +229-98-123-964
WEB SITE.www.westernunion.com
E-mail westernunionheadoffice25@ yahoo.fr
Atten; Dear Beneficiary,
Good day my dear, How are you and your family today? I am really confused here right now that our government is now trying to cancel all the payment file in our custody,
Why all this delay by sending this remaining balance of $78.00? The government is now out to start cancel all those payment file which the owner is not ready yet to receive it, Are you sure that you are really BENEFICIARY? or you are trying to claim the USD$2.5Million on behalf of the person?
Any way. The ( Imf Office ) Director General said that every beneficiary have only today and tomorrow to pay the fee according to the information i receive this morning from ( IMF OFFICE) so please to avoid you blame any one here if you loose the Fund because $78.00 cannot make you to loose your Fund which you know the total amount you about to received.
I prayer that God will make a way for you to raise the money today and tomorrow if you believe me and my words because God almight father is my withness and only him knows what i be doing since to make sure that your start receiving your fund $4500.00 every day before the date to avoid our government to cancel it. I swear let God judge me if i am lie to you.
Here is the informations to send the remaning $78.00 through western union below:
Receiver: Dr. Sunday Onyibor
City: Cotonou
Country Benin Republic
Test Ques: IN GOD
Test Ans: WE TRUST
Amount: $78.00 USD
The amount you have to send now is $78.00 but please make sure that you will return my $250.00 back once you withdraw first money from the Western Union because only God knows the reason that make me to do this help and to avoid you to blame me if our government cancel your payment File.
Get back to me once you receive this massage because i will like to know the reason that makeing you to keep queit since. Or if you don't care about this Fund anymore. just let me know so that I will watch off my hands.
I am expecting you with western union payment infotmations so that your transfer will commence immediately without further delay because i believe that we will conclude this transaction successful.
Meanwhile be a honest person to me like i am because you know that i use God,s name swear because of this fund and also to let you know that i am not lie to you.
I am waiting for the MTCN.
DR HARRY PETER
Western Union®
Welcome to Western Union
Send Money Worldwide
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