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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:
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "tax clearance" (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. )
- "transfer of your funds" (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)
- "tax clearance" (Tax offices mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. Even after you pay their fake tax demands you will still not receive the non-existent funds you have been promised. )
- "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.
- 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.
Fraud email example:
From: "MRS.MARYMOHA MMED" <secreatry@globomail.com>
Reply-To: moneygram42@globomail.com
Date: Fri, 11 May 2012 11:47:34 +0100 (BST)
Subject: PAYMENT OF ($5.000)HAVE READY SENT THROUGH MONEY GRAM.
Office
of the money gram transfer.Cotonou benin republic/address 455 agbokou,ankpa
roadopposite tunde motors cotonou office benin republic tel +229-98715821 .TEL
+229-98715821 . Adresse :rue dugouverneur bayol;boite postale :bp 1280 -
cotonou;
Date:
May/ 10 /5/ 2012
Attention:Beneficiary,
Notice: we discovered that some internet
hackers (Fraudsters) are accessing our e-mail account and yours trying
to steal from both of us, so we have concluded to effect your payments through Money Gram
Office. They will be sending $5,000. to you daily until your $850.000.00 is
completely transferred to you accordingly. You can only pay to them $97 so as to enable
the purchasing of your inheritance file to prevent
illegal transfer of your funds or any form of
hindrance in receiving your funds.
We shall obtain the Tax clearance certificates and finalize the process of your daily
transfer and then authorize the appointed
Money Gram Office to effect your payments by tomorrow as soon as you send the
fee to them.
Please fill in the transfer form
attached to you and forward to them which will enable on the transfer.
Here is there contact address.
Agent
incharge
Mr.
Richard Cole.
E-mail: moneygram42@globomail.com
Tell: ( +229-98715821
Below is the information
which you use to send the required fee through Western Union or
Money Gram any of the office that is close to
you.
The Payment instructions.
Receiver
Name.......................Chukwunonso E. Ameke
Country.........................................Benin
Republic
City......................................Cotonou
Text
Question................Send
it
Answer...........................Today.
Then after you have send the fee to this information, you should send the payment informations to them together
with the transfer form giving to you. Immediately
they purchase your payment files, you will start
receiving your payments daily as stated above.
Here are details of your first payment of $5.000 USD made on your behalf but it has no receiver's name yet until
you remit the $97 USD required to them before they
can purchase the inheritance files with your name and
put your name as the receiver.
Sender's First Name:Chukwunonso
Sender's Last Name:Ameke
Amount: $5,000 USD
Reffrence#:
5274-1453
Note that within 24hrs if you do
not remit the required $97USD the transfer will be
retrieve back and remember that the money details
given to you does not bear your name as the receiver yet until you make the payment of the $97 USD.
Test Question&Answer:
Senders Address:
Mtcn (Control
Number):
Amount Sent:
Telephone
Number
Thanks for
your kind attention.
Yours in service We are waiting
for your urgent respond immediately and be rest assured of our honest service
of releasing your full funds($850.000.00) in our system once this instructions
is abid.
Best
Regards.
Mr. Richard
Cole.
MRS.MARYMOHA
MMED
+22998715821
FORIGN OPERATION
MANAGER OFFICE BENIN
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