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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. )
- "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.
- 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 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.
- moneygmoffice@mail2world.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Angela William" <"www."@snow.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: "Mrs. Angela William" <moneygmoffice@mail2world.com>
Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2017 20:13:34 +0900 (JST)
Subject: GOOD DAY
Welcome to Money Gram Money Transfer
Send Money Worldwide office Department Of Money Gram
Cotonou Benin Republic
ADDRESS: 1500 Akpakpa Avenue, Cotonou; Benin
Visit Us Via Website: www.moneygram.com
Greetings From Money Gram
Your first Payment of $5000 USD is approved to sent to you today, So kindly reconfirm your receiver’s name information to the money gram office for the approval of your fund payment of ($5.700`000`00USD) to be sign and release to you immediately you send the below information to them: Note that your payment files will be returned to the IMF within 24 hours this is the instruction given to us by the IMF. We have been struggling to send you the first payment of $5000 USD today through our payment system here before we found out that your payment file needed to be renewed from the World Bank central system. So you have to send only $50 so that we will use it to renewed your name from the World Bank central system so that your first payment will be available on your name to pick up your first payment once you send the fee of US$50 required to renew and reconfirm your payment file to us through the World Bank Central System.
Your Receiver's:
Your Country:
Your Telephone No:
Your Address:
Your Passport ID:
Contact Mr. Lawrence Desmond to give you payment information you will use to send the $50 for renew your payment file on your name with the World Bank central system.
Contact Money Gram Office
Name:Mr. Lawrence Desmond
Email: ( moneygmoffice@mail2world.com )
TEL:+229 99 666-407
Our Money Gram Office will release your payment to you and the maximum amount you receiving each day from today is $5000 usd daily until the funds complete Transferred. Once we receive your information. The transfer will commence. The IMF is compensating all mail address and your name is listed as one of the approved to pay sum of ($5.700`000`00USD).
Best Regards
Mrs. Angela William
The (IMF)International Monetary Fund IMF Compensation.
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Anti-fraud resources:
