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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:
- 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. )
- "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)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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.
Fraud email example:
From: "James Goodman Jr." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jamesgmjr23@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2011 10:05:36 -0800
Subject: ECOWAS COURIER DELIVERY
Attn: Sir
I’m diplomat James Goodman Jr; I have been trying to reach you on
your telephone about an hour now just to inform you about my
successful arrival in John F. Kennedy International Airport with your
two boxes of consignment worth $11.5Musd which I have been instructed
by ECOWAS COURIER DELIVERY COMPANY to be delivered to you.
The Airport authority demanded for all the legal back up papers to
prove to them that the fund is no way related with drug nor fraud
money, I have presented the papers I handed to them and they are very
much pleased with the paper’s I presented, but the only thing that is
still keeping me here is the airport delivery Yellow Tag which is not
placed on the boxes, one of the Airport Authority has advise that we
get the delivery Yellow tag so that I can exit the airport immediately
and make my delivery successful to you.
I try to reason with them and they stated the delivery Yellow tag will
cost us just $915 Dollars only to get the two tag placed on the boxes
as that tag will enable me get to your house successfully without any
interference, they scanned the boxes and found out that the fund is
100 % spend able and accepted by any bank in the whole world.
Please try and reach me with my international roaming number
as I can not afford to spend more time here due to other
delivery I have to take care of in Bangkok. I will provid you the
papers backing the funds together with my ID CARD as I can accompany
you to your bank were you will deposit the fund successfully with
these papers. I have more vital paper with me but I can only present
you the hard copy when I reach your house as that it’s the diplomatic
rules, such as authorization to deliver.
You can direct the tag fee to our Head Office as they will get it here
for you and they are entitled to receive and make any payment to
foreign countries authority. get back to me in my private email;
Send the $195 through western union office Or Money Gram with this
informations below.
Receiver .....
Country .....Nigeria .
Amount ....$195 US Dollars
Text Question.... What Colour?
Answer ….Green.
Send the payment informations such as the MTCN and the senders name
once you make the payment.
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Anti-fraud resources:
