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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:
- "clearance certificate" (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. )
- "clearance certificate" (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.
- 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.
- www.moneygram1@africamail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "MRS. J CLEMENT" <mrs.jclement1@yahoo.pt>
Reply-To: "MRS. J CLEMENT" <www.moneygram1@africamail.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 09:06:26 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: OFFICE OF THE MONEY GRAM MONEY TRANSFER.
 OFFICE OF THE MONEY GRAM MONEY TRANSFER.
COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC/ADDRESS 78,
AVARAKU IGOLO ROAD COTONOU.
E-mail www.moneygram1@africamail.com
website. http://www.moneygram.com
Phone +229-64819557
Â
ATTENTION CUSTOMER,
Â
WE WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECEIPT OF YOUR EMAIL IN THIS MONEY GRAM
OFFICE AND THE CONTENT IS WELL NOTED. WE AREÂ 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 ( $5,000.00 U.S.D ) PER DAY UNTIL YOU RECEIVE ALL YOUR TOTAL
PAYMENT WHICH IS THE SUM OF $5.7M USD AS SCHEDULED IN OUR OFFICE HERE.
Â
The reference number is valid, please go through the content of this
email carefully and do as required.This is to confirm your email
response and content therein. I have called the Editorial/Programmers
to re-check the payment and they both confirmed that the ref no.
90266861 is correct & valid.
Â
We have also called the Money Gram Headquarters Offshore base to
confirm the payment status and they report that the payment was valid
for pick up by the receiver, but was held under the authorization of
the International Clearance Office requesting that your payment must
be cleared/approved by obtaining an Identification Clearance
Certificate from their office to prove its a registered funds under
the ICC.
Â
Please note that this is not our knowing because your payment was
propose for remittance via Money Gram payment which was effectively
carried out. We have ask for the cost of this ICC and was told it will
cost the sum of $68 only. The ICC will cover all the other transfer
that will be sent from this office to you and it will take 3hrs
approximately to allow the first $5,000 be released to you after
sending the $68
Â
Send the $68 via Money Gram with the below info and get back to us
immediately: Receivers name:
Â
We are waiting to hear from you today with the fee. This is the
payment information you will use to send the $68.00 for this
department to release your fund today. You will send the fee through
MONEY GRAM with this information bellow.
Â
Receiver name --- JOHNPAUL OGUGUA
Country----------BENIN REPUBLIC
City-------------COTONOU
Test Question----IN GOD
Test Answer------WE TRUST
Amount-----------$68
Reference number----------?
Sender Name...........
Â
We anticipate your urgent response to this message as soon as
possible. Awaiting to receive the payment information. Kindly get back
to me. Call +229-64819557
Â
Thanks.
Customer Care Case Management Team
Money Gram International
REV TONY MIKE .
DIRECTOR MONEY GRAM
INTERNATIONAL BENIN REPUBLIC
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Anti-fraud resources:
