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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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. )
- "diplomatic agent" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "atmcarddepartment476@yahoo.fr" (this email address looks like addresses used in "ATM SWIFT card" 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.
- +22967359342 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
- +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.
- atmcarddepartment476@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "DR.JIM ANDERSON" <officefiless@superposta.com>
Reply-To: atmcarddepartment476@yahoo.fr
Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2012 21:41:21 +0100 (BST)
Subject: SPECIAL NOTICE FROM OCEANIC BANK
OCEANIC BANK PLC BENIN
REPUBULIC OF WEST AFRICAN STATE.
ADDRESS:RUE 4498 FRANKA AVENUE TOKPA CHINVIE
COTONOU
GOOD NEWS TO YOU TODAY
WE THE ATM DEPARTMENT DUE TO YOUR DELAY IN SENDING THE REACTIVATION
FEE HAS HELD A MEETING REGARDING THE POSSIBLE WAY TO HELP YOU IN ORDER TO
RECEIVE YOUR ATM CARD AND HAS COME TO THE CONLUSSION OF REDUCING THE ACTUAL
AMOUNT OF $186USD TO $86USD THEREBY SAVING YOU $100USD.
WE DID THIS SO THAT YOU WOULD AFFORD THE REST PAYMENT FOR YOU TO
BE ABLE TO RECEIVE YOUR ATM CARD BECAUSE VERY SOON IT WILL BE DIVERTED TO
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACCOUNT AS THE LAW STATE WHICH MEANS THAT YOUR FUNDS WILL NO
LONGER BE YOURS BUT THE PROPERTY OF THE GOVERNMENT.
WE HAD TO HELP YOU BECAUSE WE HAVE LEARNT THAT YOU FIND IT
DIFFICULT TO GATHER THE WHOLE $186USD TO SEND SINCE THEN AND WE HAVE TO THEN
REDUCED THE AMOUNT TO YOU SO THAT YOU CAN AFFORD IT AND FOR THE IMMEDIATE
DELIVERY OF YOUR ATM MASTER CARD BY THE DELIVERY COMPANY.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THE ATM CARD THAT YOU
WOULD BE USING THE ATM CARD TO WITHDRAW THE SUM OF $10,000.00usd PER DAY AND THE
TOTAL AMOUNT THAT IS LOADED IN THE ATM CARD IS $2.5MUSD.
YOU ARE THEREFORE ADVISE IF YOU ARE STILL READY TO RECEIVE YOUR ATM
CARD TO PROCEED AHEAD WITH THE PAYMENT OF $2.5MUSD TO THE NEAREST WESTERN UNION
WITH THE BELOW NAME OF OUR ACCOUNT AGENT.
RECEIVER NAME IS MR.ALEXANDER NNALUE
COUNTRY IS BENIN
REPUBLIC
CITY IS COTONOU
AMOUNT YOU HAVE TO SEND IS $86USD NOT $186USD
ANYMORE
TEXT QUESTION:OUR ZIP CODE
ANSWER IS 00229
SENDER NAME
MTCN
NUMBER
IMMEDIATELY THE PAYMENT INFORMATION IS RECEIVED,THE DELIVERY COMPANY
WILL EMAIL YOU REGARDING BTHE DELIVERY AND WITHIN 24HOURS,YOUR ATM CARD WILL BE
DELIVERED AT YOUR DOORSTEP BY THEIR DIPLOMATIC AGENT.
CALL US ON PHONE VIA +229-673-593-42 AS SOON AS YOU HAVE SENT THE
MONEY.ALSO YOU HAVE TO FORWARD THE MTCN NUMBER TO OUR EMAIL BOX VIA atmcarddepartment476@yahoo.fr
TO AVIOD ANY MISTAKE.
WE SHALL BE WAITING FOR YOUR CALL OR EMAIL AS SOON AS YOU HAVE SENT
THE $86USD.
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