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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:
- "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. )
- "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist 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.
Fraud email example:
From: "MR.JAMES COMEY" <info@elite-internet.com>
Reply-To: fbi.headoffic@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 22 May 2017 14:21:41 -0700
Subject: OFFICIAL LETTER FROM THE FBI NEW YORK
--
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
FBI NEW YORK 26 FEDERAL PLAZA 23RD FLOOR NEW. YORK 10278-0004
OFFICIAL LETTER FROM THE FBI NEW YORK
YOUR URGENT ATTENTION IS HIGHLY NEEDED.
GOOD DAY:
THIS IS TO NOTIFY TO YOU THAT I RESUMED WORK TO OFFICE 24HOURS BACK
AND I RECEIVED UPDATE FROM UNITED NATION AMBASSADOR MATHEW AND HE TOLD
ME THERE WILL BE AN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT TOMORROW BY 4PM AND MRS.
NADINE COTTO WILL ACT AS YOUR DIPLOMAT AND DELIVER THE PACKAGE TO YOU
WHICH WILL TAKE ONLY 18 HOURS TO GET THE PACKAGE DELIVERED. THE ACTUAL
FEE WAS $600 BUT IT WAS REDUCED TO $80 THIS MORNING TO ENSURE THAT YOU
RECEIVED YOUR PACKAGE TOMORROW.
NOTE: THE PACKAGE YOU WILL RECEIVE CONTAIN A VISA CREDIT CARD WHICH
CONTAIN $20 MILLION USD, MASTER CREDIT CARD WHICH CONTAIN $200,000 AND
A VERIFIED CASHIER CHECK WORTH $3 MILLION USD WITH THE REQUIRED
SECURITY DOCUMENT WHICH WAS MADE IN YOUR NAME AS THE SOLE OWNER AND IT
ALSO INCLUDE THE SECURITY PIN YOU WILL USE TO TRANSACT WITH BOTH
CREDIT CARDS.
THE FUND IS FROM THE UN COMPENSATION/BAILOUT FUNDS FOR CITIZENS OF UN
MEMBER COUNTRIES AND CITIZENS OF COMMONWEALTH NATIONS FOR POVERTY
ALLEVIATION DURING THIS ECONOMIC CRUNCH AND RECESSION. THE SUM OF $7BN
WAS SHARED AMONGST 215 COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS. YOU WERE AWARDED THE
FUND FOR INVESTMENT TO EASE THE ECONOMIC CRUNCH AND TO BE PROFITABLE
AND HELP OTHERS IN NEED AS A MEASURE TO EASE THE PRESENT ECONOMIC
HARDSHIP.
THE SUM OF $80 IS REQUIRED TO ENABLE CHRISTOPHER LOVETT FROM THE ORIGIN
OF YOUR FUND GET A DIPLOMATIC PACKAGE SEAL WITH TAG OR ELSE THE
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CUSTOMS WILL NOT ALLOW HIM TO BOARD THE FLIGHT
WITH THE PACKAGE AND THIS DIPLOMATIC PACKAGE SEAL WITH TAG WILL BE
MADE IN YOUR NAME AS THE OWNER OF THE PACKAGE.
THERE IS NO MUCH TIME LEFT AND THE FEE NEED TO BE PAID TODAY TO ENABLE
HIM BOARD TONIGHT FLIGHT AND IT WILL TAKE 18 HOURS TO GET THE PACKAGE
DELIVERED TO YOU. SEND THE $80 CHARGE FEE AND GET YOUR PACKAGE
DELIVERED WITHIN 18 HOURS AND THIS WILL BE THE ONLY FEE AND LAST FEE
REQUIRED FROM YOU TOWARD THIS TRANSACTION.
SO DIRECT THE $80 TO THE ORIGIN OF YOUR FUND AS LISTED BELOW VIA MONEY
GRAM OR WESTERN UNION ONLY.
RECEIVE NAME.......... JOAN BAILEY
COUNTRY ........... UNITED STATES
ADDRESS ................201 LOCUST ST KNOXVILLE TN 37902
AMOUNT:......$80.00
MTCN ............................
SENDER NAME................
SENDER PHONE NO...............
SENDER ADDRESS...............
I AM ONLINE WAITING FOR YOUR REPLY WITH THE $80 PAYMENT SO THAT YOU
WILL GET YOUR FUND SUCCESSFUL BY TOMORROW FROM THE DIPLOMAT MRS.
NADINE COTTO.
FBI DIRECTOR
MR.JAMES COMEY
TELPHONE:1-313-769-0871
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535
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