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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:
- "atm payment department" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
- "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. )
- "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-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. )
- "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. )
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "moneygram00102@yahoo.in" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- "moneygram00102@yahoo.in" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- 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 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.
- +22998850 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
Fraud email example:
From: MR DAN JAMES <rock_girlz2020@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: moneygram00102@yahoo.in
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2010 05:49:28 -0800 (PST)
Subject: URGENT RESPOND NEEDED FROM YOU.
FORIGN OPERATION MANAGER MONEY GRAM INT'L.
OFFICE BENIN REPUBLIC.
LOCATION. RUE BPH141 KINGSTON AVENUE COTONOU BENIN.
TEL:+229-98-850*121
REF: MT89TQ CONTACT: Email: (moneygram00102@yahoo.in)
ATTN BENEFICIARY.
WE ARE EMAILING YOU TO LET YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WEARE NOT TRYING TO OFFEND YOU IN ANYWHERE BUT ONLY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU FOLLOW THE NORMAL PROCESS IN GETTING YOUR INHERITANCE PAYMENT THROUGH OUR OFFICE AS YOU MUST KNOW THAT THIS IS A MONEY-GRAM AGENTS AND ALSO A GOVERNMENT INC.COMPANY.
YOUR TOTAL SUM OF $850.000.00 USD WAS DEPOSITED IN OUR CUSTODY BY YOUR PARTNER TO BE PAID TO YOU THROUGH ATM CARD BUT WE CAN NO LONGER COMPLETE THE PAYMENT THROUGH ATM CARD DUE TO THE PROBLEM OUR ATM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT IS HAVING WITH IMF SO YOUR PAYMENT WAS MOVED TO OUR CUSTODY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO YOU VIA MONEY-GRAM.
NOTE:YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PAY THE SUM OF $298 USD BEFORE THIS MONEY-GRAM OPERATING BRANCH CAN RECONFIRM YOUR PAYMENT FILE AND IT WILL SERVE AS THE COST OF SIGNING YOUR PAYMENT FILE TO ENABLE US BE ABLE TO SEND YOUR INHERITANCE PAYMENT OF $850.000.00 WHICH YOU WILL BE RECEIVING $10,000.00,USD DAILY AS PLANED WITH YOUR PARTNER,YOU ARE HEREBY INSTRUCT TO GET BACK TO THIS NOBLE OFFICE WITH THE REQUIRED FEE.
I AM TRUST WORTHY TO NOTIFY YOU THAT YOUR FIRST PAYMENT MUST DEFINATELY GET TO YOUR HANDS AS SOON YOU SEND THE (USD$298) TODAY.
YOU ARE TO ANSWER THIS LITTLE TEXT TO CONFIRM THAT WE ARE HANDLING YOUR INHERITANCE PAYMENT ACCORDLY TO THE RIGHT DIRECTION. PLEASE YOU ARE EXPECTING TO REPLY BACK TO THIS MONEY-GRAM OFFICE SO THAT WE PROCEED AHEAD AND COMMERCE YOUR PAYMENT ONCE YOU RECONFIRM YOUR PERSONAL FILE AS LISTED BELOW AND SEND THE REQUESTED FEE OF $298USD TODAY WITH THE INSTRUCTION BELOW.
FULL NAME.........
PHONE...........
HOME ADDRESS.......
COUNTRY......
TELEPHONE NUMBER.......
CITY.....
SECRET QUESTION.......
ANSWER...........
USE THE INFORMATION BELOW TO SEND THE MANDATORY REQUIRE FEE TOTAL SUM OF $298 VIA MONEY-GRAM TO ENABLE US PICK IT FROM OUR DEPARTMENT HERE AND RECONFIRM YOUR PAYMENT FILE APPROVAL FROM THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND COMMERCE YOUR DAILY PAYMENT OF $10,000.00
RECEIVER NAME.... TAGBO FRANCIS CHUKA
COUNTRY....BENIN REPUBLIC.
CITY...COTONOU.
TEST QUESTION..OK
ANSWER....OK
AMOUNT...$298USD.
AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVED THIS EMAIL KINDLY COMPLY WITH THIS INSTRUCTIONS AND BE REST ASSURE THAT YOUR PAYMENT WILL COMMERCE IMMEDIATELY BY THIS OFFICE ONCE WE CONCLUDE RECONFIRMING YOUR PAYMENT FILE FROM THE RIGHT OFFICE.
WE ARE HERE TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY AND IMAGE OF THIS MONEY-GRAM YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT DELAYING CAN BE VERY DANGERIOUS AND MAY COURSE YOU MISFORTUNE IN RECEIVING YOUR FUND,YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT ANY LONGER .
SINCE THIS OFFICE IS MAKING ALL NECESSARYL ARRANGEMENT TO BE SURE THAT YOUR PAYMENT IS BEEN COMMERCE ONCE WE CONFIRM THE REQUESTED PAYMENT AND INFORMATIONS.
YOU SHOULD GO AHEAD TO SEND US THAT REQUIRED ($298 USD) AND BE REST ASSURED THAT WITHIN 24 HOURS YOUR MONEY WILL BE CONFIRM TO YOUR ADDRESS AND YOU WILL CASH IT FROM ANY OF OUR CORRUSPONDANT MONEY-GRAM BRANCH THERE IN YOUR COUNTRY BE REST ASSURE OF THIS MONEY-GRAM OFFICE INTERGRITY AND PERSONAL INTERGRITY.
URGENT RESPOND NEEDED FROM YOU.
THANKS.
YOURS SINCERELLY
HONOURABLE MR DAN JAMES.
FORIGN OPERATION MANAGER
MONEYGRAM OFFICE BENIN REPUBLIC
http://www.emoneygram.com
E-MAIL: moneygram00102@yahoo.in
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