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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. )
- "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. )
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- moneygramoffice392@yahoo.com (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: FROM MISS JENTDIBO <agentdi_plomatic@yahoo.pt>
Reply-To: FROM MISS JENTDIBO <miss_jentdibo@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 05:06:08 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: OFFICE OF THE MONEY GRAM MONEY TRANSFER.
 OFFICE OF THE MONEY GRAM MONEY TRANSFER.
COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC/ADDRESS 455 AGBOKOU,ANKPA ROAD
OPPOSITE TUNDE MOTORS COTONOU.
EMAILS moneygramoffice392@yahoo.com
WE WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECEIPT OF YOUR EMAILÂ IN THIS
MONEY GRAM OFFICE AND THE CONTENT IS WELL NOTED.WE ARE
INSTRUCTED TO SEND YOUR FUND TO YOUR ADDRESS IN YOUR CITY
MONEY GRAM OFFICE FROMÂ BENIN REPUBLIC OFFICEÂ OF THE
MONEY GRAM TRANSFER AND YOU WILL BE RECEIVING YOUR FUND (
$6500 U.S.D ) PER DAY UNTIL YOU RECEIVE ALL YOUR TOTAL
PAYMENT WHICH IS THE SUM OF $1.500.000USD AS SCHEDULED IN
OUR OFFICE HERE.
It was registered with us by Mr. Paul smith ,for urgent
remittance to your destination money gram in your country.In money gram transaction when an amount of fund in transaction is more than 10,000.00 usd dollars, the document file will be renewed before the transfer will commence as ordered by the ministry of finance and in all the money grams of the world.
I want you to know that this is a legitimate transfer and
that is why our Government said that your file which was
deposited at this money gram with your name must be renew
before the transfer will commence.The cost of the Renewal of your File which was deposited at this Money Gram With your Name is $60.00Â Only.So i want you to know that there is nothing like any deceiving in this transfer of your fund and be inform that the amount which you will be
receiving each day is $6500,SD once you send the $60.00 for the renewal of your file today.
Â
Be rest assure that as soon you send the $60.00 and we renew your file,we shall start transferring your fund to you through this Money Gram Department without any further
delay and this is the only fee you have to pay in this transaction as it was written down already by the Federal government of this country that mapped out the compensation for you .
Note: the reason why we need you to send us the $105usd is
that we tried to deduct the renewal fee out from your fund
but the minister administrator trust fund of Benin republic told us that no one has access over your fund as it have been signed and stamped that no money should be deducted
until it gets to you to avoid any misunderstanding because
if any one has access to that it will involve you loosing
your fund, No one has to be trusted base on our past
experience we had earlier last year.
We are waiting to hear from you today with the fee.This is
the payment information you will use to send the $60.00
for this department to release your fund tomorrow morning.
Â
You will send the fee through Money Gram or western union
money transfer with this information below.
Receiver name ---JOHN OJADI CHUKWUMA
City-------------COTONOU
Country----------REPUBLIC OF BENIN
Test Question----God
Test Answer------Yes
Amount-----------$$60.00
We will be waiting to receive the payment
information.Kindly get back to us as soon as possible.Thanks
And God Blessing
Thanks.
MR CAASBULAKA WORD
DIRECTOR MONEY GRAM
INTERNATIONAL BENINÂ REPUBLIC
EMAILS moneygramoffice392@yahoo.com
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