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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:
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "fund beneficiary" (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)
- "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.
- 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.
- westernunion.moneytransfer0259@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "mr Richard bello." <offic---------8908@att.net>
Reply-To: westernunion.moneytransfer0259@yahoo.fr
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2011 10:23:02 -0800 (PST)
Subject: YOUR PAYMENT APPROVED VIA WESTERN UNION 02/3/ 2011.
Attention there fund beneficiary.
The board of federal ministry of finance benin republic are hereby to notify you of your payment inheritance funds of usd$800.000 eight hundred thousand uni ted state dollars after the meeting held on 02/3/ 2011. His excellence the president of federal republic of benin (dr yayi boni) has instructed this department to send your funds through our branch, oceanic bank plc western union money transfer for easy receive of your inheritance funds without any further delay to avoid paying money to the fraud stars that is going on through the global.
you are required to send your name and address where you want your fund to be send to through oceanic bank plc western union money transfer. The maximium amount you will be receiving per a day starting from tomorrow1 is $6000.00 and the mtcn no# will be sent along with the text questions & answers for you to receive your fund through any western union location in your country, also you are required by this department to send the renewing & reconfirming of your file charges of $155.00 dollar to oceanic bank plc western union money transfer to help them renew & reconfirm you file that was deposited in the bank along with your name and address below.
beneficiarey name--------------
address------------------------
tel phone----------------------
question/answer----------------
for further procedure contact our payment officer with the information below;
Attention; Mr Kevin Jarry.
Oceanic bank plc western
union money transfer.
Tel; +229 98371293.
Fax:222 558 991.
Email; (westernunion.moneytransfer0259@yahoo.fr)
Try to fill the above informations where to start sending the money because as soon the required fee of $155 .00 received today for the renewing & reconfirming the payment file of your funds you will start receiving your funds as from tomorrow in amount of $6000.00 dollars like we stated above. Indicate your pa yment file code of (#08574) to them when contacting or calling them.
yours in service
mr Richard bello.
Un office of legal affairs
security and investigation.
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Anti-fraud resources:
