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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:
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "you are required to pay " (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. )
- "00,000.00" (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. )
- 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 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.
- +447045708922 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
- 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.
- jamessmith302@aim.com (AOL Instant Messenger; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Uk Nationwide Foundation <uknationwide@www.com>
Reply-To: jamessmith302@aim.com
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 02:57:46 +0300
Subject: CALL TO CONFIRM YOUR BANK DRATF TEL: +4470 4570 8922
Greetings!!!
I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable
Bank Draft
of £500,000.00 (five hundred thousand pounds), from the Uk Nationwide
Foundation for basic research. but I did not hear from you since that time.
Then I went and deposited the Draft with Dbmail Global Courier Service, West
Africa, I travelled out of the country for a three Months Course and I
will not
come back till end of november 2009. What you have to do now is to contact
Dbmail Global Courier Service.
The only money you will send to the Dbmail Global Courier Service to deliver
your Draft direct to your postal Address in your country is (£250.00) pounds
only being Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far. Again,don't be
deceived by anybody to pay any other money except (£250.00) pounds. 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 the Dbmail Global Courier
Service now for the delivery of your Draft with this information bellow;
MR. James Smith.
TEL: +4470 4570 8922
FAX: +4470 9284 2791
Email: jamessmith302@aim.com
Email: info2009@dbmail.com
You are required to pay a fee of £250.GBP (TWO HUNDRRED AND FIFTY POUNDS
ONLY) Payment should be made via Money Gram Transfer or western union money
transfer with the name of the Dbmail Global Courier Service officer Mr.James
Smith.
NAME: MR.JAMES SMITH
ADDRESS: London (Head Office)
60 New Broad Streets
London TC3N 1HZ
NB: Endeavor to send to us a copy of the transfer slip containing the MTCN
control number via fax Or email attachment as soon as you make the transfer.
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