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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:
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- 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 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.gramtransfer@hotmail.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Robert Pikus" <odee_ikwunne002@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: money.gramtransfer@hotmail.fr
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:34:49 +0100 (BST)
Subject: FROM MONEY GRAM TRANSFER OF YOU FUNDS
Â
 Attention Beneficiary:
THIS OFFICE OF THE MONEY GRAM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT REMMITTING OFFICE HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED BY THE FEDERAL MINSTRY OF FINANCE AND FUNDS TRANSFER ORDER TO TRANSFER YOUR TOTAL FUND OF ($900.000.00) Nine hundred thousand united state dollars,TO YOU VIA MONEY GRAM.
WHY OUR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLS MAP OUT YOUR FUNDS TO BE TRANSFER THROUGH MONEY GRAM IS BECAUSE OF INSINCER/UNTRUSTWORTHY AND DISNONESTY OF OUR BANKERS, DELIVERY COMPANY’S AND THE WESTERN UNION AGENTS HAVE EVEN FORMED THE HABIT OF GIVEN FAKE COUNTROL NUMBERS THIS ARE THE REASONS OUR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLS DECIDED TO FOLLOW LEGAL PROCEEDURES OF MONEY GRAM TO TRANSFER YOUR FUND WITHOUT PASSING THROUGH DIFFICULTIES TO RECEIVE YOUR TOTAL FUNDS.
BE ADVISED THAT OUR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLS HAS FINALY AGREED TO ISSUE OUT YOUR INHERITERCE FUNDS WHICH SURPOSE TO TRANSFER TO YOU SINCE BEGINIG OF THIS YEAR BUT DUE TO IMPORTANT MATTERS WHICH THEY WANT TO SOLVE OUT IN RESPECT OF YOUR TOTAL ($900.000.00) THAT DELAYED YOUR PAYMENT SINCE THEN BUT THANK GOD THAT THE WHOLES ISSUES HAS BEEN SOLVED OUT NOW.
NOW YOU ARE INFORMED THAT YOU WILL BE RECEIVING THE SUM OF $6,000.00 USD PER DAY, UNITLL YOUR TOTAL AMONUT OFÂ ($900.000.00) Nine hundred thousand united state dollars,) IS TRANSFERRED COMPLETELY.
THE AGENT INCHARGE OF YOUR FUND ISÂ MR JOHN PETER.
ADRESS IS ( money.gramtransfer@hotmail.fr)
FILL THESE BELOW INFORMATION.
Â
YOUR RECIEVERS NAME.......
YOUR COUNTRY………
YOUR TEST QUESTION…….
YOUR ANSWER…………
TELL PHONE NUMBER
Â
BE INFORMING THAT YOU HAVE TO SEND YOUR TRANSFER CHARGES OF £60.00 USD WITHIN 4DAYS TODAY BECAUSE AFTER THIS 4DAYS THERE SHOULD BE A PANELITIES FOR THE LATE COMERS AND YOU HAVE TO WRITE AN APPLICATION LETTER TO THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE FOR NOT RESPONDING WHEN NEEDED.
THIS FEE CAN BE SENT WITH THIS INFORMATION THROUG MONEY GRAM OR WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
RECIEVERS NAME………MR AMEKE MICHAEL
COUNTRY……… BENIN REPUBLIC
CITY…………......COTONUO
TEST QUESTION…….HOW MUCH
ANSWER…………$60.00
MTCN………………?
SENDERS NAME....?
CALL OR EMAIL ME NOW SO THAT I CAN PROVIDE THE MONEY GRAM INFORMATION TO YOU AS URGENT AS I CAN.
I WAIT FOR YOUR URGENT RESPONSE TODAY FOR ME TO PRECED TRANSFER YOUR FUND AS I WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE.
THANKS AND GOD BLESSING YOU.
BEST REGARD
MRÂ JOHN PETER.
Money Gram International Bank Transfer
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