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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:
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "consignment " (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)
- "you are advise to" (this email uses bad English)
- "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "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 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.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Ruben Moussa" <michele.gamma@alice.it>
Reply-To: officefile@foxmail.com
Date: Tue, 8 Dec 2015 10:52:27 +0100 (CET)
Subject: FROM HEAD QUARTER POLICE STATION
FROM HEAD QUARTER POLICE STATION
ZOGBO COTONOU
INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE
BENIN REPUBLIC WEST AFRICA
MR.RUBEN MOUSSA
TELEPHONE: +229 98277840
Attention:
My Name is Mr. Ruben W. Moussa the inspector general of police Benin
Republic,This is to inform you that the government of this country
Benin Republic are sending you the sum of $12.5millions of dollars
because you have lost money before trying to receive your funds because you
have been waiting to receive
it from Tony Larry, We got him arrested today.
The government is rewarding this funds as one of the scam victim.
We where able to get your email through those that extort money from
you when the police got them arrested , One of them gave us your email
address who called his Name Johnson Kuta.
The president of this country His Excellency Mr. Yayi Boni has sent
aside the sum of $12.5millions of Dollars in consignment to send to you
through Dhl Courier Company.
We thereby have made a concrete arrangement with the DHL Courier
Company for a safe delivery to your door-step once the beneficiary
meets up the demand of the conveyance.
Note that all the delivery fee has been paid on your behalf. But you
are advise to send only $88 dollar immediately to our office for your
clearance certificate because our agent will proceed to Du'Benin High
Court first thing tomorrow morning so that he should get the
certificate before your consignment will leave this country.
The DHL Courier agent will use the certificate to obtain the transaction.
So you advice to contact inspector general of police Benin Republic
Office immediately with your full information for delivery of your
consignment and also to enable our office confirm that you are the
real owner of this Emaill address to avoid any mistake.
Full Name.......
Country........
City............
Your Cell Number.
The Amount You Lost....
Contact our Office with this information below for more information
and for quick delivery of your consignment.
Below is where you can send the $88 to our protocol officer in Benin republic
via western union or money gram.
Receiver's Name......CLEMENT EDEN
Country............... Benin Republic
Text Question..........We trust
Answer.............In God
Amount.$88
Mtcn.......
senders country.............
senders name.................
God bless.
Mr. Ruben Moussa
call our office telephone number once you receive this message for
more information +229 98277840
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