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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:
- 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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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. )
- "required 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. )
- "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. )
- "money transfer control number" (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)
- "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
- 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.
Fraud email example:
From: "His Excellency the president," <g.maletta@alice.it>
Reply-To: westernuion471@yahoo.fr
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2015 07:44:44 +0100 (CET)
Subject: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF BENIN
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF FEDERAL
REPUBLIC OF BENIN
LIBERATION PALACE COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENN REPUBLC FROM THE
DESK OF
THE PRESIDENT Commander-Of-The-Armies-Forces Liberation
Palace REF
NO:.........PDS F/OSI/OO2/ DSF2013DATE:-..02/06/2014
ATTENTION DEAR VALUED CUSTOMER
Information reaching us from our corporate headquarters
through our
president ( Dr.BONY YAYI ) now states that you have 72hours
to effect
payment of your compensation for the activation of your mtcn
to enable
you cash up your first $6000.00 from your total fund of
($5.700.000.00
) since you are finding it difficult to make this payment
,we have
decided that you are to go ahead and pay whatever you have
for the
activation fee as from $49 up since you are not able to come
up with
the total required fee ,time is of the essence here. You are
to pay
whatever you have for the activation fee; we will activate
your mtcn
upon receipt of this payment.
Be informed that you will have to pay the balance of your
activation
upon cashing up your first $6000.00 usd, also I am using
this medium
to inform you that failure to pay the balance sum will leave
us with
no option but to deactivate your mtcn of which you will
receive and
can never cash up the balance sum I want you to send the
activation
fee with the information bellow.
send us the mtcn number immediately you send the money and
once we confirm
the activation fee we will send you the first receipt of
your $6000.00
today and don't forget to
forward the mtcn to US to avoid mistake do that for your
payment.
Bellow is the details of your first payment and is now
available in
the western union menu, but it will be release for you pick
up
immediately you come up with the part of the activation fee
ok,
Money Transfer Control Number (M.T.C.N): 1591359629
Senders First Name: juliette
Senders Last Name: chapin (To track and verify the Mtcn
https://wumt.westernunion.com/asp/orderstatus.asp?country=global
I will send complete info when you send the money for the
activation ok.
Here are the information's where you can send any amount you
have at hand
1. Receiver:Chris Dibor
2. Country::::::::: Benin Republic
3 city:::::::::::: Cotonou
4. Question::::::::::::::As Soon As?
5. Answer:::::::::::: Possible.
6. Amount::::::::::::::::Any Amount You Have At Hand
Mtcn:::::::::::::::::::::
Sender name::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sender address:::::::::::::::::::
Tel:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Awaiting for your urgent mail today.
Remember this code number which is meant for your security
{w.p.trust god)
yours in service western union head office department
republic of
Benin. Foreign contractor
payment office this is our conduct code remember that
winners never
stopped midways on
their track but went ahead boldly without fears to the
finishing line
to win the crown!!!
His Excellency the president,
president & commander-in-chief of the armies forces
republic du Benin
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