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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. )
- "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. )
- "money transfer control number" (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. )
- "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
- They don't notify winners by email.
- You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
- They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
- They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
- They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
- They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
- They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
- 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 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.
- westernunion133@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Adams Smiths" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <westernunion133@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2017 11:00:26 -0700
Subject: COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN PAYMENT
FROM OFFICE OF THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC/ADDRESS 455 AGBOKOU,ANKPA ROAD
OPPOSITE TUNDE MOTORS COTONOU.
ATTN:
According our research your email address have won you $10 Million US Dollar last week from western union promotion online.
We have finalize that you will be receiving $5,000.00 dollars everyday till you received all your winning fund.
bellow is your first payment of $5000.00 but you could not pick it up because we received a call from central bank of Benin CBB that you need to obtain Fund Ownership certificate before you will be able to receive your first payment ,for that reason you must pay for $95 usd for the certificate, remember that the needed $95 should not be deduct or take from your total fund because of Government policy
So right now we are waiting for you to send the $95.00
Here is your payment information which you will use to withdraw your first payment.
Do not go to western union without sending the fee for the ownership certificate.
As soon as you send the fee i will release your first payment today.
Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) :# 4611397744
Senders Name ; Patrick Wilfred
Question: In God
Answer: We trust
Amount: $5000.00
The tracking number can not work until we activate your account
You are advice to pay the $95 to our accountant receiver agent.
Receiver name:::AUNG DIBIE
Country::: Benin Republic
Question ::: When
Answer:::Today.
Sender name:::
MTCN:::
This is your Opportunity now for you to receive your fund without any further delay.
Best Regard
Mr.Adam Smith
©2017- Western Union Holdings
E-mail address: westernunion133@yahoo.com
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