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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:
- "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. )
- "the consignment" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "consignment " (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "deambassador@ymail.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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: AMBASSADOR OFFICE <petius_kando@yahoo.ca>
Reply-To: deambassador@ymail.com
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2012 02:22:12 -0800 (PST)
Subject: FROM THE US AMBASSADOR TO BENIN
US AMBASSADOR OFFICE
11 GARIK ROAD BENIN
COTONOU BENINREPUBLIC
DEAR BENEFICIARY ,
FROM THE US AMBASSADOR TO BENIN
BE INFORMED THAT I HAVE RESOLVED WITH THE BENIN PRESIDENCY TO DELIVER THIS SUM OF $800,000.00USD BEING THE INTEREST FUND ACCRUED FROM YOUR CONTRACT/INHERITANCEFUND.
I SHALL BE COMING TO THE UNITED STATES FOR AN OFFICIAL MEETING BY NEXT WEEK ANDI WILL BE BRINGING YOUR CONSIGNMENT CONTAINING THE FUND WHICH HAS BEEN PACKAGEDAND SEALED IN YOUR FAVOR BUT THIS TIME I WILL NOT GO THROUGH CUSTOMS BECAUSE ASA U.S AMBASSADOR TO BENIN, I AM A U.S GOVERNMENT AGENT AND I HAVE THE VOTER POWER TO GO THROUGH CUSTOMS.
I AM SCHEDULED TO HAVE A BRIEFING WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATES IMMEDIAELY.
YOU SHOULD SEND YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER AND THE ADDRESS WHERE YOU WANT ME TOBRING THE CONSIGNMENT PACKAGE. YOU HAVE REALLY PAID SO MUCH AS I WAS MADE TOUNDERSTAND AND THAT IS WHY I HAVE PERSONALLY INTERVENED.
YOU ARE A VERY LUCKY PERSON BECAUSE I SHALL BE BRINGING IT MYSELF AND THERE ISNOTHING ANYONE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
YOUR PACKAGE CONTECT (800,000.00 } MUST BE REGISTERED AS AN AMBASSADOR ALLPACKAGE IS WITH ME TO DEFEAT ALL ODDS AND THE COST OF REGISTERING IT IS $100DOLLAR ONLY IT WILL COST THE FEE MUST BE PAID IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS VIA MONEY GRAM TRANSFER SO THAT ALLNECESSARY ARRANGEMENT CAN BE MADE BEFORE TIME WILL BE AGAINST US.
YOU SHOULD SEND THE FEE WHICH IS $100 DOLLAR DIRECTLY TO THE CARGO REGISTRATIONOFFICER WITH THE INFORMATION BELOW THROUGH MONEY GRAM TRANSFER.
NAME ------------- MR.OGUGUA SAMUEL
COUNTRY-------- BENIN REPUBLIC
TEXT QUESTION ----- A
TEXT ANSWER ------- B
MY TRIP WILL BE BY MID WEEK AND I EXPECT YOU TO COMPLY BEFORE THEN SO THAT THEDELIVERY CAN BE COMPLETED. IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY, THEN IT WILL NOT BE MY FAULT TODELIEVER YOUR CONSIGNMENT PACKAGE.
TREAT AS URGENT,
Mr. TERENCE MC CULLEY
U.S AMBASSADOR TO BENIN
TELLPHONE NUMBER:+2348-0238-82677
E-MAIL:( deambassador@ymail.com)
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Anti-fraud resources:
