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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. )
- "i am using this medium to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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.
- officemail0263@yahoo.com.hk (Yahoo, Hong Kong; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "scott" <scott@montgomeryprint.com>
Reply-To: officemail0263@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2013 01:56:29 -0500
Subject: From Western Union Office Benin Republic
FROM OFFICE OF THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC/ADDRESS 455 AGBOKOU,ANKPA ROAD
LAGOTES PALAR WEB SITE. www.westernunion.com
E-MAIL ADDRESS; officemail0263@yahoo.com.hk
TELEPHONE : +229 9880 2627
DEAR: BENEFICIARY
INFORMATION REACHING US FROM OUR CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS NOW, STATES THAT YOU ONLY HAVE 24HOURS TO EFFECT PAYMENT FOR THE RENEWING OF YOUR PAYMENT FILE TO ENABLE YOU CASH UP YOUR FIRST $5000:00 FROM YOUR TOTAL (FUND $5.8MILLION).
AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOUR FIRST PAYMENT IS AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP BY YOU BUT WE HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED NOT TO RELEASE THE MTCN NUMBER TO YOU UNTIL YOU SEND THE $68.54CENTS WHICH WILL ENABLE US TO RENEW YOUR PAYMENT FILE AS THE AUTHORITY DEMANDS BEFORE WE CAN START SENDING YOUR DAILY PAYMENT MTCN NUMBER TO YOU.
SO, YOU HAVE TO GO TO WESTERN UNION NOW AND SEND THE $68.54CENTS TO ENABLE US RELEASE FIRST PAYMENT WITHOUT ANY MORE DELAY OK. CONTACT US WITH THIS EMAIL(officemail0263@yahoo.com.hk) OR CALL ME ON +229 9880 2627 SOON AFTER YOU SEND THE MONEY TODAY.
ALSO I AM USING THIS MEDIUM TO INFORM YOU THAT FAILURE TO PAY THE FEE WILL LEAVE US WITH NO OPTION BUT TO DEACTIVATE YOUR MTCN OF WHICH YOU WILL AND CAN NEVER CASH YOUR DAILY PAYMENT AGAIN.
I WANT YOU TO SEND THE FEE FOR THE RENEWAL OF YOUR PAYMENT FILE WITH THE INFORMATION BELLOW.
NAME.............. MARCEL OBA
CITY................COTONOU
COUNTRY.........BENIN REPUBLIC
QUESTION........WHO IS GREAT?
ANSWER............GOD
AMOUNT........... $68.54CENTS
MTCN............
SEND US THE MTCN NUMBER IMMEDIATELY YOU SEND THE MONEY AND IMMEDIATELY WE CONFIRM THE FEE, WE WILL RELEASE YOUR FIRST MTCN TO ENABLE YOU PICK UP YOUR $5000 TODAY AND NOT TOMORROW.
REGARDS
MRS. ROSE JOHNSON
officemail0263@yahoo.com.hk
+229 9880 2627
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