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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. )
- "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.
- 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.
- westeruniondsk1@rediffmail.com (Rediffmail, India; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Continental Bank Benin <uknational.lottery94@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: westeruniondsk1@rediffmail.com
Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2012 09:39:26 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: At this moment the transaction has been completed.
Hi,
NOTE: Pls contact this office for your payment ( westeruniondsk1@rediffmail.com)
We received the instruction yesterday to pay you $10.5M.
At this moment the transaction has been completed.
It is due to high volume of funds that your payment is made by WESTERN UNION SECURED ORDER and there is a Transaction Password which shall be given to you within 24 hours so that with this Password you can enter into any western union office in your country to start collecting your funds.The reason is because of high volume of money to be paid to you.
You have to first go to western union office and pay the fee for the SECURED ORDER TRANSACTION CODE, it was placed as SECURED ORDER because of huge volume of money to avoid interception of any kind, you have to go fast and send the fees which is 150euros below names:-
Receiver: Oba Frank
City: Cotonou
Country: Benin Republic
M.T.C.N..............................................
Addressc/127 midobom
Ammount.....150euros
Question.....What For
Answer.........Good
Seneder's Name........................................
MTCN..................................................
I am waiting to reveal the SECURED ORDER TRANSACTION PASSWORD so that you will start cashing your fund which is already available in the western union payment network.
As soon as you send the fee for the SECURED ORDER TRANSACTION PASSWORD and you want to drop the payment information by telephone.
+22998525747
Thanks
Mr.Utali Nkwo
Payment Suppervisor
Benin Republic
+22998525747
NOTE: Pls contact this office for your payment ( westeruniondsk1@rediffmail.com)
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