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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:
- "security keeping 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. )
- "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. )
- "million united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "lagos" (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.
- mrfredmark@yahoo.com.au (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "MR. PHILIP MOORE" <artcandle@ganz.com>
Reply-To: <mrfredmark@yahoo.com.au>
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2014 11:40:02 +0100
Subject: Dear valued customer your atm card.
Dear valued customer your atm card.
We have been waiting for you since to contact us for your ATM MASTERCARD WORTH THE SUM $2000,000.00 (TWO MILLION United States Dollars) but we did not hear from you till now, and that was why we decided to contact you.
We went to the bank to confirm if the ATM CARD has expired or getting near to expire and Dr. Wilson the Director OF SPRING TRUST BANK PLC told us that the Atm Card will expired on the 30/ Nov 2014.
We decided to contact you For your information and to let you know that the delivering Charge have been paid by the depositor of your parcel (JOAXIN COMPENSATION ORGANIZATION {MR. PHILIP MOORE}. So right now the only money you will send to the Courier Service to deliver your ATM CARD direct to your postal Address in your country is($210.USD) only being for the Security Keeping fee. Don't be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except $210.00 US Dollars for the Security Keeping fee.
The sender would have paid that but we said no because we don't know when you will contact us and in case of demurrage. Find below the details of the Dispatch Director who is in charge of your parcel.
CONTROLLER: Mr. Fred Mark
EMAIL ADDRESS: mrfredmark@yahoo.com.au
PHONE NUMBER: +234 8077575000
Please try and reconfirmed your information with them to avoid wrong delivery.
Full Names:
Postal Address
country
Telephone Number:
Occupation..
Age:
Please if you are not sending the payment for the security keeping fee, don't reply to this Email or reconfirm your details as this will only last for (7) Seven working days,if you are not ready to make the payment before then, We are going to return the parcel back to the depositor, because the parcel have stay long with us.
We are going to send you your tracking number to enable you track your package over there and know when it will get to your address after the confirmation of the payment by our Account Officer.
PAYMENT METHOD: WESTERN UNION OR MONEY GRAM
Name: Victor Thomas
Address: Lagos Nigeria
Text Question: Color
Answer: green.
MTCN:.......................... (fill and send)
Sender's name:.............(fill and send)
Amount Sent:$210
Best Regards
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Anti-fraud resources:
