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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:
- "moneygram" (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. )
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- MoneyGram money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. Along with Western Union it is a 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.
- moneygramoffice809@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: money gram office <"www."@future.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: money gram office <moneygramoffice809@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2017 10:34:47 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Dear Beneficiary
The International Monetary Fund Annual Compensation from
USA.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is compensating some
scam victims and your email address was found in the scam
victims list. This Money Gram®office has been mandated by
the IMF to transfer your compensation to you via Money
Gram®Money Transfer.
However, we have concluded to affect your own payment
through Money Gram®Money Transfer, 5000.00 pay day until
the total sum of $2.5 Million United States is completely
transferred to you the receiver. We cannot be able to send
the payment with your email address alone, we are hereby
needed your information to where we will be sending the
funds.
Here is the information to pick up your first payment of
$5000 through MoneyGram store close to you.
Money Reference Number (REF): 691 339 72
Sender's First Name: Ezennia
Sender's Last Name: Ike
MTCN:# 691 339 72 (Track the MTCN by
visiting:::::::::https:// sec ure.moneygram.com/track)
You Can Text or Call once you fill below Information
(Receivers name)............
(Country).................... . ..
(Address).................... . ...........
(Phone Number).....................
(Your Age).......................... ........
(ID copy)............. ..................
(Your Email Address)...................
NOTE: That your payment files will be returned to the IMF
within 24hours if we
did not hear from you because this was the instruction given
to us by the IMF
office here in USA. We will start the transfer as soon as we
received
your information. You are hereby warned not to communicate
or duplicate this
message for any reason what so ever because the US FBI is
already on trace of
the criminals from Africa.
NOTICE: To text or call this(moneygramoffice809@gmail.com)
office for any question.
Sincerely,
Name: Mr. Richard Maxwell
Manager Director for MoneyGram California USA.
Office Tel:(626-214-5984) Text or Call SMS
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