419 scam: "MONEY GRAM DEPARTMENT" <moneygarmoffiecinbenin1@rocketmail.com> MONEY GRAM DEPARTMENT.

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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:
- "activation 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. )
- "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. )
- "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.
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.
- +22967206750 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- moneygarmoffiecinbenin@rocketmail.com (Rocketmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "MONEY GRAM DEPARTMENT" <moneygarmoffiecinbenin1@rocketmail.com>
Reply-To: moneygarmoffiecinbenin@rocketmail.com
Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2014 22:39:52 +0800
Subject: MONEY GRAM DEPARTMENT.

ATTENTIONMY DEAR .

INFORMATIONREACHING US FROM OUR CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS NOW, STATES THAT
YOU ONLY HAVE 48HOURS TO EFFECT PAYMENT FOR THE ACTIVATION OF YOUR REFERENCE
TO ENABLE YOUCASH UP YOUR FIRST $10,000:00 FROM YOUR TOTAL (FUND OF
$4.8MILLION) SINCE YOU AREFINDING IT DIFFICULT TO MAKE THIS PAYMENT WE HAVE
DECIDED THAT YOU ARE TO GOAHEAD AND PAY WHAT EVER YOU HAVE STARTING FROM
$129.00 USD FOR THE ACTIVATION FEESINCE YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE
REQUIRED SUM, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCEHERE.

YOU ARE TOPAY WHAT EVER YOU HAVE STARTING FROM $129.00 FOR THE ACTIVATION FEE;
WE WILLACTIVATE YOUR REFERENCE UPON RECEIPT OF THIS PAYMENT.HERE IS THE
PAYMENT FORTHE $10,000USD BUT YOU CAN NOT PICK IT UP BECUASE THE CHAIRMAN OF
THE MONEY GRAMSAY THAT BEFORE YOU PICK THAT MONEY YOU MUCH PAY THE ANY AMOUNT
YOU HAVE OK

BE INFORMEDTHAT YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY THE BALANCE SUM OF YOUR ACTIVATION UPON
CASHING UP OFYOUR FIRST $10,000:00 USD, ALSO I AM USING THIS MEDIUM TO INFORM
YOU THATFAILURE TO PAY THE BALANCE SUM WILL LEAVE US WITH NO OPTION BUT TO
DEACTIVATEYOUR REFERENCE OF WHICH YOU WILL AND CAN NEVER CASH UP THE
BALANCE SUM I WANTYOU TO SEND THE RENEWING AND TRANSFER FEE WITH THE
INFORMATION BELLOW.

1.RECEIVERNAME:===MARCEL OBI
2.COUNTRY:=======BENIN REPUBLIC.
3.CITY:===========COTONOU
4.TESTQUESTION====:GOOD
5.TESTANSWER:=====GOD
6.AMOUNTYOU SENT====
SENDERNAME=========
IF YOU SEND THE MONEY CAN SEND YOUR INFORMATION BELLOW
1 YOUR FEEL NAME =====
2 YOUR TELOPHNE ======
3 COUNTRY:=======
4 CITY:===========
OS THAT I WILL SEND YOUR FIRST PAYMENT TO YOU OK TAY AND DIATELY WE CONFIRM
THETRANSFER FEE WE WILL SEND YOU THE FIRST RECIEPT OF YOUR $10,000 TODAY AND
NOT TOMORROW

REGARDS MYDIRECT PHONE LINE IS +229 67206750
CONTACTTHIS EMAIL ADDRESS ;(moneygarmoffiecinbenin@rocketmail.com)
FROM MONEY GRAM OFFICE BENIN REPUBLIC FOR YOUR. PAYMENT
Mr,Linda William,
OPRATIONMANAGER.
MONEY GRAM DEPARTMENT.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam