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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. )
- "registration 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. )
- "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.
- 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.
- infodesk129@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Mr David Williams <"www.1234."@sweet.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: Mr David Williams <infodesk129@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2017 23:16:45 +0900 (JST)
Subject: ATM PAYMENT CENTER
ATM PAYMENT CENTER
+229-9871-3794
PAYMENT OF YOUR ($15.5million USD,)
DEAR: SIR/ MADAM,
AFTER AN OFFICIAL MEETING HELD WITH THE PRESIDENT OF Benin Republic AND MINISTER OF FINANCE CONCERNING UNPAID AND UNCLAIMED FUNDS TO FOREIGN BENEFICIARIES,JUST LIKE YOU.I WAS VERY MUCH ANNOYED WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT YOU PAID MUCH MONEY YET YOU NEVER RECEIVE YOUR FUNDS.THAT IS WHY I DECIDED TO HELP YOU.WE WISH TO OFFICIALLY INFORM YOU THAT WE HAVE CREDITED AND CONFIGURED YOUR FUND INTO AN ATM MASTER CARD ALSO WE HAVE CONCLUDED THE DELIVERY ARRANGEMENT WITH THE DELIVERY COMPANY REGARDING THE DELIVERY OF YOUR MASTER CARD WORTH ($15.5million USD,) MEANWHILE YOU ARE TO SEND THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO US TO AVOID YOUR ATM MASTER CARD BEING DELIVERED TO A WRONG HAND;
1. YOUR FULL NAME;
2. CELL PHONE NUMBER;
3. ADDRESS; (WHERE YOU WANT ME TO BRING THE PACKAGE).
SIR/MADAM I WILL ALSO WANT TO INFORM YOU THAT AS SOON AS YOU HAVE PROVIDED THE REQUIRED INFORMATION THEN YOU MOVE STRAIGHT TO THE WESTERN UNION OR MONEY gram AND SEND THE SUM OF $150 WHICH STANDS FOR THE REGISTRATION OF YOUR ATM MASTER CARD BEFORE THE DELIVERY COMPANY WILL LEAVE TO YOUR DOORSTEP SO THAT THEY WILL NOT BE STOPPED ON THE WAY BY ANY CUSTOMS AND AS SOON AS THIS FEE IS PAID THE YOU WILL BE ISSUED A TRACKING NUMBER SO THAT YOU CAN TRACK AND SEE HOW YOUR PACKAGE IS BEING DELIVERED TO YOUR DOORSTEP.BELOW IS THE PAYMENT INFORMATION YOU TO USE IN SENDING THE REGISTRATION FEE.
SEND THE FEE VIA MONEY GRAM OR WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER AND THROUGH THE CASHIER MR james ikeji
1.RECEIVER'S NAME: Smith Egini
2.ADDRESS: BENIN REPUBLIC / COTONOU
3.TEXT QUESTION: IN GOD?
4.ANSWER:WE TRUST?
5.AMOUNT: $150
FINALLY,I WILL LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO ENABLE THE DELIVERY COMPANY MOVE IMMEDIATELY TO YOUR DOORSTEP AND I WANT YOU TO BE FAST BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT DELAY IS DANGEROUS.HOPE TO READ YOUR EMAIL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.EMAIL:{infodesk129@yahoo.com}
BOARD OF EXECUTIVE
Mr David Williams
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