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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:
- "security keeping 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. )
- "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. )
- "diplomatic agent" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- 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.
Fraud email example:
From: ADEX COURIER SERVICE <consultantdsk@adinet.com.uy>
Reply-To: adexcourer.deliveryservice@live.com
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:33:48 -0300 (UYT)
Subject: WELCOME TO ADEX COURIER COMPANY
WELCOME TO ADEX COURIER COMPANY BENIN
REPUBLIC.
ADEX COURIER AND SECURITY COMPANY
Contact: Dr. Anthony
Bosco.
Address: Avenue Stermetz Rue 1255
Porto
novo of Benin Republic.
Tel:
+22996846005
Attention beneficiary:
With regards to your Atm
Card deposited in our Company by Mr.Fred Ekene from Bank of
African here in Benin Republic, I wish to inform you that instructions was
passed to our company to commence with the delivery of your ATM Card as soon as
you contacted us and reconfirm your current delivery address.
We have
finalize the delivery arrangement and will forward the tracking details to you
as soon as it is dispatched to you.
Meanwhile we can not commence on the
delivery without our keeping fee ofATM Atm Card which $49.00usd, for the keeping
fee and that is what will delayATM Atm Card not to leave this country tomorrow
and we can not commence on the delivery without having the keeping fee first and
it is $49.00usd only and if you did not send the fee today as it is 15 per week.
then you can pay as much as your Atm Card is here with
us if you delay to pay the fee which is the $49.00usd, today it will be
increasing.
============================== ==============================
============================== =======
you will send our security keeping fee
of just $49.00usd with this information bellow through western union money
transfer or Moneygram.
Receiver:::::::::::::::::: Onyi John
City:::::::::::::::::::::::: Porto
Novo
Country:::::::::::::::::Benin
Republic
Questions::::::::::::::Top
Answer:::::::::::::::::Top
Amount::::::::::::::::$49.
00usd
Sender's Name:::::
M.T.C.N::::::::::::::::
Awaiting
to have the painformationations.
Send the money via western union money transfer and
forward the painformationations to us for easier pick up.
We will forward the tracking number of your package as soon as we got
everything done.
Please remember to reconfirm your mailing address to
me again to avoid wrong delivery durarrivalarival of our diplomatic agent
ok.
I will be waiting for your call as soon as you get this email for
more explanations.
Thanks while we await for your urgent
response.
Yours Faithfully
Dr.Anthony
Bosco.
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Anti-fraud resources:
