|
|
joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
|
|
"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:
- "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)
- 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.
- 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.
- money-gram1942@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: MRS ALICIA JOHN FRANCIS <john_francis@globomail.com>
Reply-To: money_gram14@globomail.com
Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2011 18:02:56 +0100 (BST)
Subject: =?utf-8?B?WU9VUiBJTU1FRElBVEUgQVRURU5USU9OIFdJTEwgQkUgQVBSRUNJQVRFRA==?=
=?utf-8?B?4oCPLA==?=
FORIGN OPERATION MANAGER MONEY GRAM INT'L.
OFFICE BENIN REPUBLIC
LOCATION. RUE BPH141 KINGSTON AVENUE COTONOU BENIN.
TEL:+229-982392187-: FAX: (+229)98952802
REF: MT89TQ
ATTENTION:BENEFICIARY:
AM EMAILING YOUÂ SEQUAL TO YOURÂ E-MAIL,I WANT YOU TO
UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT TRYING TO OFFENDÂ YOU IN ANYWHERE BUT ONLY TO
MAKE SURE THAT YOUÂ FOLLOW THE NORMAL PROCESS IN GETTING YOUR
INHERITANCE PAYMENT THROUGH OUR OFFICE AS YOU MUST KNOW THAT THIS IS A
MONEYGRAM AGENTS AND ALSO A GOVERNMENT INC.COMPANY. YOUR TOTAL SUM OF
$1.5Million 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 MONEYGRAM.
NOTE:YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PAY THE SUM OF $86USD BEFORE
THIS MONEYGRAN 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 $5000.00USD DAILY AS PLANED WITH
YOUR PARTNER,YOU ARE HEREBY INSTRUCT TO GETÂ 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 ASÂ SOON YOU SEND THE (USD$86)
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 MONEYGRAM
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 $86USD 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 SUMÂ OF
$86 VIA MONEYGRAM 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 $5000.00USD
RECEIVER NAME.....ROBERT L. JOHNSON
COUNTRY....BENIN REPUBLIC.
CITY...COTONOU.
TEST QUESTION..ZIP CODE
ANSWER....229.
AMOUNT...$86.USD
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 MONEYGRAM 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 COMMERCEÂ ONCE WE CONFIRM THE REQUESTED PAYMENT AND
INFORMATIONS.
YOU SHOULD GO AHEAD TO SEND US THAT REQUIRED (86USD)
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
MONEYGRAM BRANCH THERE IN YOUR COUNTRY BE REST ASSURE OF THIS MONEYGRAM
OFFICE INTERGRITY AND PERSONAL INTERGRITY.
CONTACT THIS EMAIL ADDRESS WHEN YOU PAY THE MONEY
E-Mail money-gram1942@hotmail.com
MR.LAWRENCE WILLIAMS.
PHONE NUMBER+22998952802
Â
URGENT RESPOND NEEDED FROM YOU.
http://www.emoneygram.com/
THANKS FOR YOUR PATRONAGE,
YOURS SINCERELLY
HONOURABLEÂ MR.LAWRENCE WILLIAMS YARADUA GENERAL.
FORIGN OPERATION MANAGER
MONEYGRAM OFFICE BENIN REPUBLIC.
|
Anti-fraud resources:
