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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:
- "activation 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. )
- "required 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. )
- "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. )
- "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "federal high court" (This court is often mentioned in '419' scams to give the victim a reason why he/she should send thousands of dollars to the scammers. A 'Federal High Court' exists in Germany and Nigeria, but not in other countries, such as the UK, Spain, Netherlands, Senegal, Benin, South Africa or other countries where fake lawyers in scams often claim to be based. )
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- 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.
- agwuijamaka@citromail.hu (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Mr Agwu Ijamaka <"trust."@pure.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: Mr Agwu Ijamaka <agwuijamaka@citromail.hu>
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2017 13:42:15 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Attention My Dear We Have Breaking A Good News Approved $1.5
Million USD To You:
WESTERN UNION FROM THE ABOVE. (agwuijamaka@citromail.hu)
Mr Agwu Ijamaka (ESQ).
Federal republic of Benin.
Director Western Union Head Office Benin Republic.
Attention My Dear We Have Breaking A Good News Approved $1.5 Million USD To You:
This Is To confirm that your payment is ready but you must send the required fee for there activation of your payment file From HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE DU IN BENIN REPUBLIC to enable you have access on your payment in your country.
Dear note that your first payment of $5000.00 is available for you but you will not pick it until you pay the needed fee of $55 dollar for the activation of your Western Union Transfer Papers by the Federal High Court Benin Republic. So we are here by giving you this Western Union Payment Information to track your payment of 5000USD dollar Paste or click our website : < https://www.westernunion.com/us/en/send-money/app/tracktransfer >
transfer.html Put this mtcn : ( 1474037148 ) then click submit to confirm that your first payment mtcn of $5000.00 is available to pick up but you must send the required fee for the activation to be done to enable you have access on it in your country . Use the below information to send the required re activation fee of $55.00 through western union or any money transfer such as money gram etc.
RECEIVER'S NAME... MIKE WILLIAM
COUNTRY....BENIN REPUBLIC
CITY..COTONOU
TEXT QUESTION... HOW LONG?
ANSWER.... TODAY
AMOUNT NEEDED.....$55
MTCN NUMBER...
SENDER'S NAME....
We await to receive the western union payment information today.Please if you are not the real beneficiary don’t respond on this,Call MR Agwu Ijamaka on this number 00229-6628-0143 for him, And note that you have to contacted him to know that you interested to receiver your transfer of 5000USD which is coming to you every 24hours once we hear from you with the payment details of 55.00 dollar today.
Dear as soon as I receive the payment details of the required fee today you will start receiving $5000.00 Valid MTCN on daily basics until your grant fund of (One Million five hundred United States Dollars is finish.
Take note : it will cost you only $55.00 .
Mr Agwu Ijamaka (ESQ).
Federal republic of Benin.
Email (agwuijamaka@citromail.hu)
Director Western Union Head Office Benin Republic.
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