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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:
- "clearance certificate" (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. )
- "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. )
- "tax clearance" (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. )
- "clearance certificate" (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. )
- "million us dollars" (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)
- "tax clearance" (Tax offices mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. Even after you pay their fake tax demands you will still not receive the non-existent funds you have been promised. )
- "cotonou" (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.
- 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.
- delivery.agent_jefferynoah@superposta.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: IMPEX COURIER AND SECURITY COMPANY <tony------lee1@att.net>
Reply-To: impex_couriersecurity_company7@superposta.com
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 03:18:32 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: IMPEX COURIER AND SECURITY COMPANY
IMPEX COURIER AND SECURITY COMPANY
Contact: Dr . Kenneth IfezuoAddress: Avenue Stermetz Rue 1255
Cotonou, Benin Republic.
Tele;+229 986 185 61E-mail: impex_couriersecurity_ company7@superposta.comWebsite: http:// impexcourierandsecurity.tk/
Attention beneficiary ,
We have obtained the Tax Clearance Certificate and the Legal Ownership Certificate which costed us $1,800 and the problem now which you can settle by your self alone is that they need you or your attorney to sign those papers on your behalf , but as i know that you will not make it to come down here to sign those documents by your self because that you are very far, so we now found an attorney who will sign those documents for .
Now the Attorney is demanding for $149 Dollars or he will not sign the documents and we tried but he refused and our Company Resprective Agent Mr. Jeffery Noah who is there in Usa because of your $2.8 Million Us Dollars that was seized by the USA AUTHORITIES which they now agreed to release after these two documents Tax Clearance Certificate and the Legal Ownership Certificate are ready , our Company Resprective Agent Mr. Jeffery Noah who is there in Usa said that you are delaying him that he will stay till saturday and if there is no action taken that he will be coming back sunday , so now you advise to go to the Western Union and send the $149 today to enable the Attorney to sign those document on your behalf .
Contact our Company Resprective Agent Mr. Jeffery Noah
Telephone number 3362333551
E-mail- delivery.agent_jefferynoah@superposta.com
who is in USA since because of this your funds issue to know the truth from him. So we advise you to get back to us with with Mtcn of the $149 today and again try to contact our Company Resprective Agent Mr. Jeffery Noah and hear more from him because your funds will be release once we forward him these needed Tax Clearance Certificate and the Legal Ownership Certificate because that is what the USA AUTHORITIES need now. Send the $149 here through Western Union .
Receiver Name.......Lawrence Emeka Onuorah
Sender's name................
City..........Cotonou
Country.:Benin Republic
Question.:Who?
Answer.:God
Amount..............$149
MTCN.....................
Contact the agent here.
Telephone number 3362333551
E-mail- delivery.agent_jefferynoah@superposta.com
Company Resprective Agent Mr. Jeffery Noah Thanks and while we await for your urgent response.
Yours Faithfully
Dr. Kenneth Ifezuo
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