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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. )
- "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. )
- 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: Bishop Jameson <antoniogutrres355@gmail.com>
Reply-To: westernuniontransferfz@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2023 01:26:29 -0800
Subject: ATTENTION BENEFICIARY
--
I have received your email in respect to your compensating fund
deposited here in my department western union by (IMF) post bank
assign to be sending to you $5,000.00 twice daily until your total
fund of $6.5 millions dollars is being completed, your first payment
is been programmed for your pick up.
1.Enlisted is the info for your payment
http://www.westernunion.com/global-service/track-transfer
2.sender......Bishop Jameson
3.Amount.....$5,000 USD
4.MTCN...... 9553007080
As it is now the only thing holding you from receiving the available
pick up is $50 to renewing your payment file, this is instruction from
the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and that is why your first
payment is placed on hold that you cannot receive it until your
payment file is renew. Because it has been very long time.
As soon as we confirm the following information from you, Your payment
file will be renew and your available MTCN pin Numbers will be release
for you to pick up your first payment today.
Waiting to hear from you as soon as you receive this email sincerely
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