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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:
- "security keeping 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. )
- "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. )
- "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)
- "diplomatic agent" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "dhlcouriercompany@groupmail.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- 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: Gildas Douglas <"imf.."@car.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: Gildas Douglas <dhlcouriercompany@groupmail.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2017 19:05:54 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Contact The Dhl Courier Company Urgently For Your Boxes
Attention Sir/ Ma,
CONGRATULATION!!!!! Your fund has been packaged in a metal box since you can not afford to receive it in the past via western union/money gram due to the transfer charge fee and I decided to package the $8.5million US in a metal box which I registered with the DHL Courier as a box that contained African clothes and jewelries.
I want you to contact the DHL Courier Company to know when they will deliver your Consignment Box with registration code (GBE009GB). I have paid for the delivering charges and insurance Fee. The only money you have to send to them is their Official Service and Security keeping fee which is $88 Dollars only to receive your Consignment Box I would have paid it for you but they said no just because they don’t know when you will contact them so please feel free to contact them now to avoid delay and demurrage.
THE CONTACT INFORMATION OF DHL DELIVERING COMPANY
Director General / Dr.Bryon Young
Phone Number/ +229-68551212
E-mail: ( dhlcouriercompany@groupmail.com
Country/Cotonou Benin Republic try to contact them as soon as possible.
Below is the information you are required to send to them for safe delivery by their diplomatic agent:
(1) Full name ===========
(2) Home Address: ==========
(3) Telephone: ============
(4) Age: ============
(5) Sex:===============
(6) A COPY OF YOUR PICTURE.
I have given them your address. And you have to reconfirm it to them again to avoid any mistake on the delivering the box to you remember that I only told the director the content and he advised me not to disclose the content to any body including the delivery agent just for the safety of the fund in the box make sure that you use this code as the subject of the email you are sending to them GBE009GB) Because this will be an evidence to proof to them that you are the correct owner of the box.
Sincerely,
Gildas Douglas
Chairman Interpol Fund Release.
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