joewein.de LLC fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter! Free trial for 30 days

"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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.

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:

• 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 ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "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.
  • +22993894157 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • westernunionoffice1998@gmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "PRINCE EZE UGO" <princeezeugo19@ig.com.br>
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:38:07 +0200
Subject: Re : Your Payment Approved Via Western Union 16th/07/ 2008.


Re : Your Payment Approved Via Western Union 16th/07/ 2008.

To The Attention Of Beneficiary;

The Board of federal ministry of finance Benin Republic are hereby to notify
you of your payment inheritance funds of US$800.000 after the meeting held
on 16th of July 2008. 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 Courier Company.

You are required to send your name and address Where you want your fund to
be send to OCEANIC BANK PLC WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER. The maximium
amount you will be receiving per a day starting from tomorrow 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 $98.00 dollar to OCEANIC BANK PLC WESTERN UNION
MONEY TRANSFER to help the Renew & Reconfirm you file that was deposited in
the BANK along with your name and address below.

Beneficiarey name--------------
Address------------------------
Tel phone----------------------

For further procedure Contact our payment officer with the information
below;

Attention; Mr Drazzell Benben.
Oceanic Bank Plc Western
Union Money Transfer.
Tel; +229-9389 4157.
Email;(westernunionoffice1998@gmail.com)
Try to fill the Above Informations where to start sending the money Because
As soon the required fee of $98 .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 payment file code of (#01174) to them when contacting or
calling them.

Yours in service
Barr. Williams John Jr.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam