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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. )
- "moneygram" (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 gram" (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.
- MoneyGram money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. Along with Western Union it is a 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.
- +229 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
- 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.
- moneygramgram1@yahoo.fr (Yahoo, France; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr Arden Hassam" <fservice75@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: moneygramgram1@yahoo.fr
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2011 06:29:35 -0400
Subject: MR ISAAC JOHNSON
OFFICE OF THE MONEY GRAM MONEY TRANSFER.
COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC/ADDRESS 455 AGBOKOU,ANKPA ROAD
OPPOSITE TUNDE MOTORS COTONOU.
moneygramgram1@yahoo.fr
website... www.moneygram.com
WE WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECEIPT OF YOUR EMAIL IN THIS MONEY GRAM OFFICE
AND THE CONTENT IS WELL NOTED.
WE ARE INSTRUCTED TO SEND YOUR FUND TO YOUR ADDRESS IN YOUR CITY MONEY GRAM
OFFICE FROM BENIN REPUBLIC OFFICE OF THE MONEY GRAM TRANSFER AND YOU WILL BE
RECEIVING YOUR FUND ( $6500 U.S.D ) PER DAY UNTIL YOU RECEIVE ALL YOUR TOTAL
PAYMENT WHICH IS THE SUM OF $1.500.000USD AS SCHEDULED IN OUR OFFICE HERE.
It was registered with us by Mr. Paul smith ,for urgent remittance to your
destination money gram in your country.
In money gram transaction when an amount of fund in transaction is more than
10,000.00 usd dollars, the document file will be renewed before the transfer
will commence as ordered by the ministry of finance and in all the money grams
of the world.
I want you to know that this is a legitimate transfer and that is why our
Government said that your file which was deposited at this money gram with
your name must be renew before the transfer will commence.The cost of the
Renewal of your File which was deposited at this Money Gram With your Name is
$75.00 Only.
So i want you to know that there is nothing like any deceiving in this
transfer of your fund and be inform that the amount which you will be
receiving each day is $6500,SD once you send the $75.00 for the renewal of
your file today.
Be rest assure that as soon you send the $75.00 and we renew your file,we
shall start transferring your fund to you through this Money Gram Department
without any further delay and this is the only fee you have to pay in this
transaction as it was written down already by the Federal government of this
country that mapped out the compensation for you .
Note: the reason why we need you to send us the $75usd is that we tried to
deduct the renewal fee out from your fund but the minister administrator trust
fund of Benin republic told us that no one has access over your fund as it
have been signed and stamped that no money should be deducted until it gets to
you to avoid any misunderstanding because if any one has access to that it
will involve you loosing your fund, No one has to be trusted base on our past
experience we had earlier last year.
We are waiting to hear from you today with the fee.
This is the payment information you will use to send the $75.00 for this
department to release your fund tomorrow morning.
You will send the fee through Money Gram or western union money transfer with
this information below.
Receiver name ---Osita Johnbosco
City-------------COTONOU
Country----------REPUBLIC OF BENIN
Test Question----God
Test Answer------Yes
Amount-----------$75.00
We will be waiting to receive the payment information.
Kindly get back to us as soon as possible.
Thanks And God Blessing
Thanks.MR ISAAC JOHNSON
+229. 98 8O1679 DIRECTOR MONEY GRAM
INTERNATIONAL BENIN REPUBLIC
EMAILS
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