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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. )
- "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "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.
- 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.
- +22997271777 (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.
- westernunionunit@sify.com
Fraud email example:
From: atiku77@sam.avhost.pl
Reply-To: ibbibb71@sify.com
Date: Sat, 30 May 2009 19:14:27 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: CONTACT DEBT SETTLEMENT UNIT IMMEDIATELY.
Attention :
Compliments of the season to you, We are using this medium to communicate
with you that the board and the directors of Ecowas and the British High
Commission from the DEBT SETTLEMENT UNIT are working seriously with the
Europian Union authorities to ensure that you are partially settled with
the flat sum of One Million Three Hundred thousand United States Dollars
($1.3 Million) being for the compensation of all the money you wasted and
problems created to you by some corrupt officials from this Sub Region of
the World, who collided with some imposters to victimize innocent masses.
Presently, I am mandated to inform you that the authorities are ready to
pay all the people who were victimized by those corrupt officials
according to the order of the human right commision. So, be notified that
your names are among the 15 names in the first batch who are to receive
the first payment, but it is left for you as the beneficairy to show your
interest on the fund by forwarding to the payment department of the
western union in Benin all your current information and data so as the
enable him forward them to the organizing board to endorse for the swift
release and payment of your fund via a Western Union from Benin Republic.
Equip them with your under listed current information to enhance a fast
communication to you by the payment department for a rapid submission and
confirmation of your name for your payment by the asigned Western Union
Bank:
Your Full Names---------
Complete Address-----------
Telephone Numbers---------
Occupation-----------
Nationality---------
Age and Marital Status-------
Sex-----------
The aforemention informations are very vital to propel this payment
without any further delay by the Western Union as soon as your information
is submited and stabilized in the debt clearance data base. CONTACT THE
WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER WITH THIS INFO.
E-mail: westernunionunit@sify.com
Phone Number :+229-9727-1777
Contact Person:DR. JOHN WILLIAM
Yours Sincerely,
Mr.Robert Leon
And on behalf of the Debt Settlement Board
Lot 620 St. Terita
Cotonou
Benin Republic
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