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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. )
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "to your nominated bank account" (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)
- "international remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "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.
- 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.
- unionbankplc2013@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "UNION BANK WIRE TRANSFER DEPARTMENT" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <unionbankplc2013@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 12 May 2015 14:29:22 -0700
Subject: CLAIM YOUR FUND NOW: LAST CHANCE BEFORE CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT
GOOD DAY,
I WISH TO INFORM YOU THAT THERE IS A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA WHICH WILL BE HAPPENING ENDING OF THIS MONTH OF MAY 2015 BECAUSE WE JUST CONCLUDED OUR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WHICH WAS IN FAVOUR OF THE OPPOSITION PARTY CALLED (APC) AND HENCE A MASSIVE ROTATION IN ALL GOVERNMENTAL OFFICE WHICH MIGHT JEOPARDIZE YOUR LIKELIHOOD OF RECEIVING YOUR LONG OVER DUE FUNDS WHICH YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE IN YOUR ACCOUNT TILL NOW DUE TO YOUR DELAY OR REFUSING TO PAY THE NEEDED FEE TO OBTAIN THE NON-RESIDENTIAL TAX CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE WHICH IS HOLDING YOUR FUND NOT TO BE TRANSFER TO YOUR NOMINATED BANK ACCOUNT.
THE HONORABLE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA HAS ISSUE A MANDATE THAT ALL UNPAID FUNDS SHOULD BE PAID AT ALL COST BEFORE HANDOVER DATE WHICH IS MAY 29TH 2015 HENCE THIS GOVERNMENT HAS ISSUED 100% WAVIER AND WILL ASSIST YOU FINANCIALLY WITH 100% OF THE NEEDED FEE IN CONCLUDING THIS TRANSACTION.
ALL THAT IS NEEDED FROM YOU IS TO OBTAIN A PRESIDENTIAL WAVIER CERTIFICATE WHICH IS ONLY $199USD. THIS CERTIFICATE WILL FULLY EMPOWER YOU TO RECEIVE YOUR FUNDS WITHOUT ANY HITCHES. NOTE THAT THIS WILL BE THE ONLY REQUESTED FEE FROM YOU. NO CENT, UPFRONT PAYMENT WILL BE NEEDED ONCE THIS CERTIFICATE IS OBTAINED AND IN LESS THAN 24HOURS YOUR FUNDS WILL BE TRANSFER BY THIS UNION BANK TO YOUR NOMINATED BANK ACCOUNT WITHOUT ANY DELAY.
ONCE AGAIN, KINDLY RECONFIRM THE BELOW NEEDED INFORMATION FROM YOU AND UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR INFORMATION AND YOU ALSO AGREED TO OBTAIN THE PRESIDENTIAL WAVIER CERTIFICATE WHICH IS ONLY $199USD, I WILL GIVE YOU INSTRUCTION HOW YOU WILL PAY THE ONLY NEEDED $199USD TO OBTAIN THE PRESIDENTIAL WAVIER CERTIFICATE. FINALLY, TAKE PROPER NOTE THAT THIS PROCESS IS NOT NEGOTIABLE IN ANY WAY IF TRULY YOU NEED YOUR FUNDS IN YOUR ACCOUNT SOON.
URGENT INFORMATION NEEDED FROM YOU;
1. YOUR FULL NAME
2. YOUR ADDRESS
3. YOUR DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER
4. YOUR BANK ACCOUNT DETAILS THAT YOU WANT YOUR FUNDS TO BE TRANSFER INTO BY WIRE TRANSFER
5. THE AMOUNT YOU ARE EXPECTING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA.
PLEASE TREAT AS URGENT.
YOURS SINCERELY,
MR. EMEKA CHIGOZE
DIRECTOR WIRE TRANSFER/INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT
E-MAIL: unionbankplc2013@gmail.com
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