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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:
- "insurance 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. )
- "atmcarddepartmentcenter1@shqiptar.eu" (this email address looks like addresses used in "ATM SWIFT card" scams)
- 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.
Fraud email example:
From: "scott" <scott@montgomeryprint.com>
Reply-To: atmcarddepartmentcenter1@shqiptar.eu
Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2012 16:25:36 -0400
Subject: Good news, Get back to me once you received the ATM CARD ok
Good news, we wish to let you know that everything concerning your ATM CARD payment dispatch is ready in this office. And we have a meeting with the house (Federal government of Benin) we informed them that your funds should not cost you any thing because is your money (Your Card). Moreover, we have an agreement with them that you should pay only insurance fee of your Atm Card which is $50 U.S. DOLLARS by FedEx Delivering Company.
However, you have only Monday or Tuesday to send this $50 U.S. DOLLARS for the insurance fee of your card, if we don’t hear from you with the payment information; the Federal Government will cancel the Atm Card. And the money in the card is $2.8million and you will pick up $20,000 every day in the atm card
This is the paying information that you will use and send the fee through western union money transfer and you can call me with this number as soon as you receive this mail +229-98789913
Receivers Name:==
LOY ODIKE
Address:== enin Republic
City:= tonou
Text Question:== God is
Text Answer:== Good
Amount:== $50
We are Waiting for the payment information to enable us proceed for the delivering of your Atm Card and you have to open the attach file below and see the copy of your Atm Card.
Mr. Tommy Johnson
Skye Bank Plc
+229-98789913
Email:==( atmcarddepartmentcenter1@shqiptar.eu
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