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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:
- "moneygram" (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. )
- "the 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)
- "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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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 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.
- mrslauraalex@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: US AMBASSADOR TO BENIN <d.divins@verizon.net>
Reply-To: mrslauraalex@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:06:06 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: US AMBASSADOR TO BENIN REPUBLIC IN WEST AFRICA.
US AMBASSADOR TO BENIN REPUBLIC IN WEST
AFRICA.
11 GARKI ROAD PONTO.
BUHEKOUN BENIN.
GOOD MORNING ,
DUE TO HAND OVER ALL YOUR PAYMENT FILE AFTER HAVING MEETING WITH BENIN VICE
PRESIDENT ON MONDAY AND AUTHORIZED ME TO DELIVERY YOUR
FUND ,I SHALL BE COMING TO THE UNITED STATES FOR AN
OFFICIAL MEETING BY NEXT WEEK AND I WILL BE BRINGING YOUR INTEREST PAYMENT OF
US$1.5M ALONG WITH ME BUT THIS TIME I WILL NOT GO THROUGH CUSTOMS BECAUSE AS A
US AMBASSADOR TO BENIN REPUBLIC, I AM A US GOVERNMENT AGENT
AND I HAVE THE VETOR POWER TO GO THROUGH CUSTOMS.I AM SCHEDULED TO HAVE A
BRIEFING WITH THE SECRETARY OF
STATES BY NEXT WEEK
YOU SHOULD SEND YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER
AND THE ADDRESS WHERE YOU WANT ME TO BRING THE CONSIGNMENT PACKAGE . YOU HAVE
REALLY PAID SO MUCH AS I WAS MADE TO UNDERSTAND AND THAT IS WHY I HAVE
PERSONALLY INTERVENED. YOU ARE A VERY LUCKY PERSON BECAUSE I SHALL BE BRINGING
IT MYSELF AND THERE IS NOTHING ANYONE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
YOUR PACKAGE
(US$1.5M} MUST BE REGISTERED AS AN AMBASSADORIAL PACKAGE FOR ME TO DEFEAT ALL
ODDS AND THE COST OF REGISTERING IT IS USD$235,00.
THE FEE MUST BE PAID
IN THE NEXT 72 HOURS VIA WESTERN UNION OR MONEYGRAM SO THAT ALL NECCESSARY
ARRANGEMENT CAN BE MADE BEFORE TIME WILL BE AGAINST US.
YOU SHOULD SEND THE
FEE DIRECTLY TO THE CARGO REGISTRATION OFFICER WITH THE INFO
BELOW
NAME
------------- JOSEPH NNAKUZIE
COUNTRY ---REPUBLIC OF
BENIN IN WEST AFRICA
TEXT QUESTION
----- AMOUNT
TEXT ANSWER ------- $235
MY TRIP WILL BE BY MID NEXT WEEK
AND I EXPECT YOU TO COMPLY BEFORE THEN SO THAT THE DELIVERY CAN BE COMPLETED. IF
YOU DO NOT COMPLY, THEN IT WILL NOT BE MY FAULT AND COUNT YOURSELF OUT AS YOUR
CONSIGNMENT PACKAGE WILL NOT DELIVERY.
TREAT AS URGENT,
MRS.LAURA
DAVID ALEX
US AMBASSADOR TO
NIGERIA
E-Mail:( mrslauraalex@gmail.com
)
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Anti-fraud resources:
