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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:
- "required fee " (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. )
- "you are advise to" (this email uses bad English)
- "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.
- western.union1956@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "URGENT FROM MR. ANTHONY ROBERT" <officepost631@gmail.com>
Reply-To: western.union1956@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 20:05:46 +0530 (IST)
Subject: URGENT PAYMENT NOTICE FROM WESTERN UNION
FROM
OFFICE OF THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
PLOT1261 HOPEWELL
STREET VICTORIA ISLANDPloy 730, COTOUON
BENIN
PHONE
NUMBER: +229-66316085
E-MAIL: western.union1956@gmail.com
ATTENTION:
THE BOARD OF FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE BENIN REPUBLIC.ARE HERE TO
NOTIFY YOU OF YOUR PAYMENT INHERITED FUNDS OF $1.5MILLION.AFTER THE MEETING HELD
ON 10TH OF SEPTEMBER 2011. THE FEDERAL GOVERMENT REPUBLIC OF BENIN INSTRUCTED
THIS DEPARTMENT TO SEND YOUR FUNDS THROUGH WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER FOR
EASIER RECEIVING OF YOUR INHERINTED FUNDS WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY.
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO SEND YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS WERE YOU WANT YOUR FUND TO BE
SENT THROUGH WESTERN UNION THE MAXIMIUM AMOUNT YOU WILL BE RECEIVING EACH DAY
STARTING FROM THE DAY YOU COMPLY WITH THIS OFFICE IS THE SUM OF $5000.00. ALSO
YOUR ARE REQUIRED TO SEND US THE SUM OF $185 DOLLAR ONLY FOR RE-NEWING AND
RECOFIRMING YOUR PAYMENT FILE THAT WAS DEPOSITED IN THIS OFFICE WITH YOUR NAME
AND ADDRESS.
PLEASE YOU ARE ADVISE TO GO THROUGH THIS EMAIL CAREFULLY AND
MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND AND READY TO COMPLY WITH THE CONTENTS BEFORE REPLYING
TO IT.WEARE INSTRUCTED BY MRS. JOYE NELSON. TO TRANSFER YOUR FUND WHICH YOU LOST
TO BENIN SCAMMERS WITH THIER AFFILIATED LOTTERY OFFICE HERE IN WEST AFRICA TO
YOU VIA OUR SERVICE (WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER) SO YOU WILL BE RECIEVING
$5000.00 USD DAILY UNTILL IT COMPLETE THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF
($1.5MILLION.USD).
MEANWHILE YOU ARE REQUIRED TO SEND US THE REQUIRED FEE
OF $185 USD FOR YOUR FIRST PAYMENT OF $5000 THAT WE HAVE ALREADY REMITED TO YOUR
NAME BECAUSE WITH OUT THAT YOU CAN NOT PICK UP THE FIRST $5000 FOR IT IS ON
HOLD.
NOTE: THE REASON WHY WE NEED YOU TO SEND US THE $185 USD IS THAT WE
TRIED TO DEDUCT THE TRANSFER FEE OUT FROM YOUR FUND BUT THE MINISTER
ADMINISTRATOR TRUST FUND OF (COTOUON BENIN REPUBLIC) TOLD US THAT NO ONE HAS
ACCESS OVER YOUR FUND AS IT HAVE BEEN SIGNED AND STAMPED THAT NO MONEY SHOULD BE
DEDUCTED UNTIL IT GETS TO YOU TO AVOID ANY MISUNDERSTANDING AND FOR SECURITY
REASONS.
HERE IS THE INFORMATION OF THE ONE WE SENT TODAY TO YOU BUT
IT WILL REMAIN ON HOLD UNTIL YOU SEND US OUR RE-NEWING CHARGES OF $185 BEFORE WE
CAN RELEASE IT TO YOU SO YOU CAN TRACK IT WITH OUR WEB SITE. WWW.WESTERNUNION.COM TO CONFIRM IF TRULY
YOUR MONEY IS AVAILABLE OR NOT.
SENDERS NAME-----------MMOKWE EUGENE
(MTCN)-----------------577- 861-1772
Question---------------What Colour
Test
Answer------------Green
Amount-----------------$5000
TRACK
THE MTCN NUMBER WITH OUR WEBSITE BELOW:
http://www.westernunion.com/
info/selectCountry.asp or www.westernunion.com
FINALLY UPDATE US WITH
THE $185 USD TO ENABLE US PROCEED ON YOUR PAYMENT IMMEDIATELY, BELOW IS THE
INFORMATION YOU WILL USE TO REMIT THE REQUIRED $185 USD VIA WESTERN UNION MONEY
TRANSFER BEING OUR RE-NEWING CHARGE.
PAYMENT INFORMATION.
1.RECEIVERS NAME............MR. HENRY UZOH
2.CITY:..................... COTONOU
3.COUNTRY
:................. BENIN.
4.TEST QUESTION:...........HOW LONG?
5.TEST
ANSWER:..............SOON
6.AMOUNT:...................$185USD
YOUR
URGENT RESPOND IS HIGHLY NEEDED.
WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU AS SOON AS
YOU RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE TO QUICKEN THE PROCESS. CONTACT OUR PAYMENT CENTRE WITH
YOUR INFORMATION AND THE REQUESTED FEE.
1.SENDERS NAME:
2.SENDERS ADDRESS:
3.MTCN#:
4.MOBILE/DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER:
YOURS
IN SERVICES
MR ANTHONY ROBERT.
OPERATION
MANAGER WESTERN UNION(COTONOU BENIN)
Phone
Number:+229-66316085
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