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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:
- "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. )
- "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 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.
- w.office95@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: DAVID JOHN <marynna.greg@yahoo.pt>
Reply-To: DAVID JOHN <w.office95@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 03:17:26 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Your western union payment is now ready
Attn: Dear,
Your western union payment is now ready for you to start picking it up
through this custody and the total fund is 1.2 Million Usd which was deposited
in this custody 2weeks ago and we decided to contact you on your email address,
the maximum amount you will be receiving per day is $5000 Usd till your total
fund is transferred to you. and also want to use this opportunity to inform you
about the new system our government gave to us about transferring fund due to
fraudulent email's used with our name, every customer will be renewing his or
her payment file to avoid some errors.
Most important now you have to re-confirm your current receiver,s
information to him such as
1)Receiver's Name--------?
2)Nationality------------?
3)Address----------------?
4)Age--------------------?
5)Phone Number----------?
6)Marital Status--------?
Contact DR PATRICKEmail-----{w.office95@yahoo.com} with the transfer charges of $95 dollars so
that your beneficiary fund payment which is issued for your immediate transfer
to be dispatched and wire transfer to you immediatley without no delay.uregntly
make the required transfer payment with the information bellow through MONEY
TRANSFER AGENCY.(MONEY GRAM),or {western union}and forward the payment ifnromation to pick up the
payment and carry on the transfer of your fund.
Receiver Name-----------CYRILLE MONTCHO
Receiever Country------Benin Republic
Receiver City-------------Cotonou City
Question-------------------Urgent
Answer---------------------Today.
Amount--------------------$95 dollars.
Senders Name----------?
Senders Country-------?
Mtcn------------------?
As soon as you have make the stated payment, you urgently contact
bellow for your transfer information of your beneficiary fund payment.
Tel---------(+22968192079)
Email-----{w.office95@yahoo.com}
Regards
DAVID JOHN
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