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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. )
- "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. )
- "foreign exchange" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- 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.
- 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.
Fraud email example:
From: "WorldPay Corporation" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <worldpaycorp1@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:23:43 -0500
Subject: AS REQUESTED
Our clients are expatriates from Northern America region working in Asia, Europe and Australia who require services of individuals/business owners resident in United States & Canada for a part time funds management service.
The service includes management of our clients' domestic bills payments in United States and Canada vis-à-vis (sending funds to payees/billers on due dates) and also international funds remittances to dealers/trade partners for purchases/supplies of equipments/machineries on their behalf from their cash reserves in the United States.
Domestic payments will be conducted via: (a) PayPal (b) Western Union (c) Moneygram (d) Online Bill Pay services while international payments will be conducted via foreign exchange platforms and wire transfers (No checks & No Money Orders). All payments will be made to recipients from funds domiciled in respective local banking system and currencies.
Should you have any of the afore-mention payment modes of payments e.g.; PayPal, Moneygram, Western Union, or other funds transfer services you can recommend, you are pre-qualified to enroll as a part time Remittance Management Personnel (RMP). Salary is attractive and negotiable upon response to this advert with relevant information.
Lee Yang
Marketing/Ads
WorldPay Corporation
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Anti-fraud resources:
