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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "MR.JOHN MARK" <officefille1988@gmail.com>
Reply-To: w_unionpaymentoffice97@yahoo.fr
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:59:10 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: DEAR ESTEEMED CUSTOMER




WESTERN UNION BENIN REPUBLIC/ADDRESS 473 LEU, DE AKPAKPA ROAD.
WELCOME TO WESTERN UNION MONEY WORLDWIDE:
OFFICE OF THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
COTONOU BENIN Email address: [w_unionpaymentoffice97@yahoo.fr]


DEAR ESTEEMED CUSTOMER

 
PLEASEWE ARE VERY SORRY FOR ALL THE PROBLEM THAT YOU HAVE PASSED THROUGHBECAUSE OF THIS YOUR BELONG PAYMENT OF WHICH YOU FAILED TILL NOW, FIRSTOF ALL, I WANT TO INTRODUCE MY SELF TO YOU, MY NAME IS MR.JOHN MARK ,IAM THE NEW ELECTED DIRECTOR GENERAL OF WESTERN UNION OFFICE BENINREPUBLIC I HAVE BEEN CHOSEN LAST WEEK. I AM WRITING THIS MAIL WITH DEEPSORROW, I SAW YOUR NAME ON OUR FILE YESTERDAY THROUGH MY SEARCHING ASTHE ONE OF THE MOST BENEFICIARY WHICH DID NOT RECEIVE YOUR FUND VALUED$950,000.00 USD WHICH SUPPOSES TO BE TRANSFERRING AT THE RATE OF$5,000.00 PER DAY DURING FORMER MANAGER REGIME.

THE REASON I AMEMAILING YOU TODAY IS TO INFORM YOU THAT THE FORMER WESTERN UNIONMANAGER. HAS BEEN SACKED OUT SINCE LAST WEEK DUE TO HIS ILLEGAL WORKUNGODLY ACT, I AM HERE TO INFORM YOU THAT THE ONLY THING THAT WILL LEADYOU TO RECEIVE YOUR FUND IS BY TRUSTING ME AND FOLLOW MY DIRECTION. YOUSENT LOT MONEY TO HIM IN ORDER TO GET YOUR FUND WHICH FAILS. THEREFOREI AM TO TELL YOU THAT THE REASON YOU DID NOT RECEIVE YOUR FUND ISBECAUSE YOU DID NOT FOLLOW THE DIRECT WAY TO GET YOUR FUND BUT TOEXTORTING MONEY FROM YOU IN VARIOUS QUARTERS. DUE TO THE FORMERMANAGER'S ATTITUDE WE THEREFORE RESOLVE TO SACKED HIM OUT SINCE HEDIDN'T KEEP OUR INSTRUCTION,

SO NOW WE HAVE ARRANGED TO PAY YOUBECAUSE ALL OUR INVESTIGATED CONFIRMED THAT YOU ARE THE RIGHT PERSON TORECEIVE THIS FUND NOTE WE HAVE TWO OPTION TO PAY YOU AND YOU THE ONE TOMAKE YOUR CHOICE OPTION (1) 0UR WESTERN UNION ATM CARD WHICH YOU WILLWITHDRAW DAILY $4000.00 OPTION (2) RECEIVE DAILY CASH $5,000.00 TILLTHE TOTAL PAYMENT COMPLETED. THERE IS ONE CERTIFICATE CALLED (FUNDRELEASE ORDER CERTIFICATES) WHICH YOU SUPPOSE TO OBTAIN FROM FEDERALHIGH COURT SERVICES WHICH WILL NOTICED THAT YOU ARE NOT A BENIN CITIZENBUT YOU DID NOT HAVE IT AND THAT IS ONLY WHAT YOU NEEDED NOW.

ACCORDINGTO THE INSTRUCTION PASSED TO THIS WESTERN UNION DEPARTMENT FROM THEOFFICE OF THE (FEDERAL HIGH COURT SERVICES) THIS WILL DULY GUARANTEEAND COVER THE MONEY AS BEING LEGITIMATELY ACQUIRED FROM THE BENINGOVERNMENT.SO I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOUR FUND OF $950,000.00 USD ISSTILL WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACCOUNT BUT IT WILL RELEASEIMMEDIATELY TO THIS WESTERN UNION OFFICE AS SOON AS YOU OBTAIN THE(FUND RELEASE ORDER CERTIFICATES)

ACCORDING TO OUR MESSENGERWHICH WENT TO THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT SERVICES OFFICE BENIN REPUBLIC FORTHE RELEASE ORDER CERTIFICATES HE TOLD US THAT IT WILL COST YOU THE SUMOF $56.00 ONLY FOR THE OBTAIN OF IT,  SOHE TOLD US THAT THEY WILL ISSUE IT WITHIN ONE DAY IF THE FEE WILL BEPAID. SO RECONFIRM US YOUR FULL ADDRESS WITH THE OPTION EITHER YOU WANTIT GOLD CARD OR DAILY PER OK I WILL BE AWAITING TO HEAR FROM YOUIMMEDIATELY WITH THE PAYMENT INFORMATION TO OBTAIN THE FUND RELEASEORDER CERTIFICATES,

1. RECEIVER NAME:/JOHN TANSI. 
2. CITY/COUNTRY:/BENIN REPUBLIC.
3. QUESTION//HOW LONG?
4. ANSWER:=/TWO DAYS
5. AMOUNT:=/US$56.00
 
IAM HERE GIVING YOUR GUARANTEE AND ALSO 100 % PERCENT ASSURANCE THATTHIS IS THE ONLY MONEY YOU WILL PAY AND AFTER YOU PAY IT YOU WILLRECEIVE YOUR FUND IMMEDIATELY. I WILL BE WAITING RIGHT TO HAVE THEPAYMENT INFORMATION IN ORDER TO ENABLE US OBTAIN THIS NEEDEDCERTIFICATE TODAY. 

REGARDS,
MR.JOHN MARK
THE NEW MANAGER OF WESTERN UNION

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