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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:
- "clearance 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. )
- "tax clearance" (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. )
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "tax clearance" (Tax offices mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. Even after you pay their fake tax demands you will still not receive the non-existent funds you have been promised. )
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- wseternunion@rocketmail.com (Rocketmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Barrister John GoodLuck" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <wseternunion@rocketmail.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2014 15:48:23 +0100
Subject: Attention Beneficiary,
Attention Beneficiary,
This is to inform you that your $2.800.000.00 dollars have concluded today
be send to you via western union transfer per daily payment of $5,000
dollars until the total fund paid to you accordingly.
However, your total compensation fund valued at $2.800.000.00 dollars has
been forwarded to our bank's Western Union Money Transfer Agency Port-Novo
Branch Benin Republic base on instruction from (I.M.F)International
Monetary Fund Benin Republic.
Therefore i want you to email Mr Anthony Kaka the western union supervisor
and ask him to give you the MTCN number and sender name to pick up the
first $5,000 dollars today and also ask him to direct you where you should
send them Tax Clearance fee of $67 dollars as per instruction from the
International Monetary Fund Benin Republic.
Call Mr Anthony Kaka now and confirmed everything and also ask him to give
you MTCN number and every other information you need to pick up your first
$5,000 dollars today.
Here is what he may require from you.
Your. Receiver---------
Your. Country------
Your. City-----------
Your. Tel--------
Your. Age ---------------
Be rest assured that the required Tax Clearance fee of $67 dollars must be
paid as per instruction from the International Monetary Fund Benin
Republic to enable them stamp your MTCN receipt paper for immediate pick
up in your name.
Below is their Contact information.
ID: wseternunion@rocketmail.com
Tele phone +229-98 52 35 98
Contact person Mr Anthony Kaka.
Regards
Barrister John GoodLuck.
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Anti-fraud resources:
