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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:
- "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. )
- "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.
- 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.
- 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.
- officemoneygram64@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Mr Nelson Udo <mrnelsonudo@yahoo.cn>
Reply-To: officemoneygram64@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2012 22:50:30 +0800 (CST)
Subject: YOUR MONEY IS IN MONEY GRAM OFFICE NOW
OFFICE
OF THE MONEY GRAM TRANSFER.
COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC/ADDRESS 455 AGBOKOU,ANKPA
ROADOPPOSITE TUNDE MOTORS COTONOU
TEL+229-68464849
ATTENTION
Email.
officemoneygram64@yahoo.com.hk
WE WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECEIPT OF YOUR
EMAIL IN THIS MONEY GRAM OFFICE AND THE CONTENT IS WELL NOTED.
WE WAS
INSTRUCTED TO SEND YOUR FUND TO YOUR ADDRESS IN YOUR CITY MONEY GRAM OFFICE
FROM HERE IN BENIN REPUBLIC OFFICE MONEY GRAM MONEY TRANSFER AND YOU WILL BE
RECEIVING YOUR FUND ( $10,000.00 U.S.D ) PER DAY UNTIL YOU RECEIVE ALL YOUR
TOTAL PAYMENT WHICH IS THE SUM OF $2.5 Million USD AS SCHEDULED IN OUR OFFICE
HERE.
However you should know that In money gram
transaction when an amount of fund in transition is more than $10,000.00 usd
dollars, the document file will be renewed before the transfer will commence
because money gram do not send more than $3000.00 per day but this order is from
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 we need to
renewal the deposited file at this money gram and get what we want so that you
will be receieving your money without any delay or problem .The cost of the
Renewal of your File which was deposited at this Money Gram With your Name is
$85.00 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 $10,000.00 once you send the $85.00 for the
renewal of your file today.
Be rest assure that as soon you send the
$85.00 we must start transfering 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 compensaction for you .
We are waiting to hear from you today with the
fee.
This is the payment information you will
use to send the $85.00 for this department to release your fund tomorrow
morning.
You will send the fee through MONEY GRAM
OR WESTERN UNION with this informations bellow.
Receiver name ----- Mr.MIKE
PROMISE
City-------------COTONOU
Country----------BENIN REPUBLIC
Test
Question--- HONEST
Test Answer------TRUST
Amount-----------$85.00
MTCN----------
Sender Name...........
Awaiting to
receive the payment information.
Kindly get back to me.
Thanks
Mr Paddy Moris
Director Money Gram
Money Transfer. E-mail:
officemoneygram64@yahoo.com.hk
MoneyGram
Payments
Registered 2009 - 2010 Money Gram Money Transfer. All
Right Reserved This email is intended for the named recipient only
and may contain privilage and confidential information. If you have received
this email in error, please notify us immediately. Please do not disclose the
contents to anyone or copy it to outside.
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