419 scam: "Dip. Innocent Benson"<bensoninnocent50@yahoo.es> I am contacting you here in Madrid-Barajas Airport, Madris Spain

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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 document" (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. )
- "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)
- "diplomatic agent" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "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.
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.
- innocent.benson1998@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Dip. Innocent Benson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <innocent.benson1998@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 20 May 2011 18:59:25 +0100
Subject: I am contacting you here in Madrid-Barajas Airport, Madris Spain

<HTML><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgcolor=#FFFFFF leftmargin=5 topmargin=5 rightmargin=5 bottommargin=5>
<FONT size=2 color=#000000 face="Arial">
<DIV>
<B><I>Dip. Innocent Benson,</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>Diplomatic Agent.</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>Air-links Courier Company</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>UK London.</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I> </B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>Attn:Receiving Beneficiary,</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I> </B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>I am Air links Courier Company, Diplomat. Innocent Benson, working with the United Nations International Monetary Funds Agency United Kingdom, I am contacting you here in Madrid-Barajas Airport, Madris Spain. This is in respect of (2) two consignment boxes I have being assigned by the Supreme court of England to make this delivery to you. The British Government released these boxes for delivery to their respective beneficiaries, upon investigations conducted, Your Name was found Tagged to this (2) two boxes as the Beneficiary/Receiver it is in this regard that i was appointed to make delivery of your boxes after they where released for delivery. I am contacting you now because you have to pick me up, at your airport to your destination to complete my delivery to you, all clearance documentation which was used to clear the boxes presently at in Madrid-Barajas Airport, i have with me to complete this delivery to you in india.</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I> </B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>I will need your information to confirm with the information i have on file of these boxes after which i will book flight to meet with you in your closest airport of your destination, below are the information requested off you.</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I> </B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>1. Full Name:</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>2. Destination House Address:</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>3. Closest Airport to your destination:</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>4. Copy of your Drivers /passport for your identification:</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>5. Your direct Mobile Phone Number:</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I> </B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>I will attached a copy of my diplomatic passport and send to you for your identification as soon as i hear from you. I await your immediate response within 24 hours in my secure e-mail (innocent.benson1998@gmail.com)</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>Regards,</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I> </B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>Dip. Innocent Benson</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I>Air-links Diplomatic Agent.</B></I></DIV>
<DIV>
<B><I> </B></I></DIV>
</FONT>
</BODY></HTML>

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam