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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "security keeping 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. )
- "money transfer control number" (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. )
- "consignment " (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)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
- This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
- 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.
- +2348025296127 (Nigeria, 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.
- servicefedexcourier87@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Jessica Brown."<jessica@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: <servicefedexcourier87@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 11:04:01 -0700
Subject: Goodday TO You!!!!!!!!!!!!
Goodday TO You!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank Draft of $850,000 United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since for a couple of weeks now. Then I went to the bank to confirm if the draft has expired or getting near to the date of expire and Dr.Wilson the Director Bank of Africa told me that before the draft will get to your hand that it will expire.
So I told him to cash the $850,000 USD UNITED STATES DOLLARS to cash payment to avoid losing this funds under expiration as I will be out of the country for a 3 Months Course and I will not come back till ending of OCTOBER 2009. What you have to do now is to contact Fedex EXPRESS COURIER COMPANY as soon as possible to know when they will deliver your Consignment to you because of the expiring date. For your information,i have paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance premium.
The only money you will send to the Fedex EXPRESS COURIER COMPANY to deliver your Consignment direct to your postal Address in your country is($150 .00 USD) one Hundred United States Dollars only being Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far. Again, don't be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except $150 .00 US Dollars.
I would have paid that but they said no because they don't know when you will contact them and in case of demurrage. You have to contact Fedex EXPRESS COURIER COMPANY now,
for the delivery of your Draft with this information bellow;
1,Your Full Name:
2,Your Delivery Address:
3,Your Cell Phone Number:
4,Your Age:
5,Your Country:
6,Your OCUPATION:
7,Your Sex:
Directors Name: Mr Joseph Mike.
Companys Name: FedEx® COURIER SERVICES
Cell : +234-802-529-6127
Email Address: servicefedexcourier87@yahoo.com
Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address and Direct telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and ask them to give you the tracking number to enable you track your package over there and know when it will get to your door step so that you can sign on it. Let me repeat again, Try to contact them as soon as you receive this mail and ask them how you will make the security fee of $150 usd to them to avoid any further delay and remember to pay them their Security Keeping fee of $150 .00 US Dollars for their immediate
action.
Note this. The Fedex EXPRESS COURIER COMPANY don't know the contents of the Box. I registered it as a BOX of Africa cloths. They did not know the contents was money. this is to avoid them delaying with the BOX. Don't let them know that box contents is money ok.
You are to make this payment today via WESTERN UNION OR MONEY GRAM OUTLET in the name of our accounting officer below:
Receiver Name: Ugorji Francis.
Receiver Address: Lagos Nigeria
You are to forward payment information to us via this email after making the
payment, the details are as follows:
SENDER'S NAME:......................... .............................
SENDER'S ADDRESS:...................... ........................
AMOUNT SENT:$150..................... .............................. ......
TEXT QUESTION: in god?
TEXT ANSWER: .we trust
MONEY TRANSFER CONTROL NUMBER
(M.T.C.N)..................... ..................
Upon receipt of the above,modalities to send your certificate and cheque will commence immediately.
We want you to note that your parcel will get to you in 2 (TWO) days after your transfer has being confirmed.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Jessica Brown.
FEDEX CONTROLLER,EXPRESS COURIER COMPANY.
Anti-fraud resources:
