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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.
- 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. )
- "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. )
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (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.
- +2348069392584 (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.
- westernunionbankmoneyclient@googlemail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
- us with this email address below: [westernunionbankmoneyclient@googlemail.com] (phone number +2348069392584) you are required to (Googlemail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "WESTERN UNION BANK" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <westernunionbankmoneyclient@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2009 16:15:25 -0700
Subject: RE: YOUR OFFER
Western Union®
FROM OFFICE OF THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
NIGERIA /ADDRESS 455 AGBOKOU, ANKPA ROAD
OPPOSITE TUNDE MOTORS LAGOS.
Email to-: Beneficiary
The Board of federal ministry of finance Republic Nigeria is hereby to
notify you of your payment inheritance funds of US$250,000.00. After the
Meeting held on 13th of July 2009. His Excellence the PRESIDENT OF
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA (DR UMARU MUSA YARADUA)
Has instructed this Department to send your Funds through our 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
Internet now.
You are to contact us with this email address below:
[westernunionbankmoneyclient@googlemail.com]
(Phone number +2348069392584)
You are required to send your name and address where you want your fund
to be sent to you through WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
The maximum amount you will be receiving per day starting from two days
after contacting our office is $7000.00 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.
Send your information to our western union money transfer office in NIGERIA.
You are require to pay for the activate fee which will cost you the sum
of $750.00 Us Dollars to them so your transfer can start immediately.
Send this information to are our agent immediately as soon as you receive
this email.
Ø YOUR NAME: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ø SEX: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ø YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS: ---------------------------------------------------------
Ø PHONE NUMBER: ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ø COUNTRY: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ø STATE: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ø CITY: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ø YOUR OCCUPATION: -------------------------------------------------------------------
Ø YOUR MARITAL STATUS: -------------------------------------------------------------
For further procedure Contact our payment officer with the information
below.
Email: [westernunionbankcontactlist@googlemail.com]
You are advised to fill the Above Information’s correctly in other for us
not making any mistake sending your fund to you.
Yours in Service.
Mr. BENSON SMITH
Western Union Money Transfer
Management
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Anti-fraud resources:
