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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:
- "clearance 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. )
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "tax clearance" (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. )
- "tax clearance" (Tax offices mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. Even after you pay their fake tax demands you will still not receive the non-existent funds you have been promised. )
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "w.union17@aol.fr" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- 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: WESTERN UNION OFFICIALS <"Bluefine."@salsa.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: WESTERN UNION OFFICIALS <w.union17@aol.fr>
Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2017 10:27:43 +0900 (JST)
Subject: your first payment mtcn:2100850242#.
I want to inform you that we have already sent you $4000.00 US Dollars
through
Western union as we have been given the mandate to transfer your full over
due
payment' total sum of $2,200.000.00 USD, via western union by the
International
Monitory Fund (IMF). I tried reaching you on phone to give you all the
information on phone but I couldn't get through yesterday,
So I decided to email you the MTCN and senders name so that you can pick up
the
$4000.00 to enable us send another $4000.00 today, as you know we will be
sending you
$4000.00 only per day. And it was agreed that you will pay the tax clearance
fee of $98 before the release of the payment to you.
Please go to any western union around you the and pick up this
sum
of $4000.00 and call the Operation Manager Mr Eric Brown because he is the
person in charge of your payment, and he can send you another payment today
once you contact him,
contact E-mail:w.union17@aol.fr) & phone ()
Telephone(+229) 9831-8589)
Below is the western union information to pick up the $4000.00; which you
will
be receiving daily after you send them their tax clearance fee of $98 and it
will serve as a re-confirmation of your payment file in their office.
Here are the Senders Information;
SENDERS NAME: DENNIS WATT
MTCN:2100850242#
Note that you can not pick up this transfer till you send them the
required $98
for the tax clearance as it is the only delay they are facing and below is
the
information to send the required fee via western union money transfer or
money
gram money transfer.
Receiver's Name:STEVE ORJI
Country: Benin Republic
City:Cotonou
Text Q: When?
Answer: now.
Amount: $98.00
Senders
Name:
Mtcn Number:
Be advised that $98 for the tax clearance fee is compulsory as they told me
that
its the only money you will pay until you receive your payment completely.
Endeavor to E-mail your direct telephone number because you will be called
once
the payment information's is sent to you.
Regards
WESTERN UNION AGENT
GODWIN BRIGHT
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