419 scam: Douglas Anton <ddouglaasntonn@yahoo.gr> your first payment of ($5000 USD)

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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:
- "clearance certificate" (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. )
- "clearance certificate" (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. )
- "million us 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)
- "western_union01@live.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
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: Douglas Anton <ddouglaasntonn@yahoo.gr>
Reply-To: western_union01@live.com
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:53:32 +0100 (BST)
Subject: your first payment of ($5000 USD)

Dear customer:

There is an issue involving $1.7million us dollars which was called to our Bank (Bank of Africa) today from the federal ministry of finance, concerning your compensation fund of $1.7million us dollars which has been delayed in one reason or the other, today was forwarded to Western Union Money Transfer and An instruction has come directly from Mr. Jona Akim, Ministry Of Finance.

We has been instructed to send your fund ($5000 USD) five thousand us dollars dally and your first payment of ($5000 USD) five thousand us dollars has been today effected to you.

We urge you to contact the below information: Re-conform your full Address and your Telephone Number, where you want your fund to be send to, also ask him to release your first payment information to you.

Contact Information: Western union Agent, in the person of Mr. Paris Willy.

Name: Mr. Paris Willy.
E-mail: western_union01@live.com

Note:
You must obtain your clearance certificate from IMF, international monetary fund office, you have to send the sum of $275 USD to obtain your clearance certificate, which will enable the western union agency in the person of Mr. Paris Willy, to release your first payment of ($5000 USD) five thousand us dollars, to you until the total sum of $1.7 million us dollars is completed send to you.

Best Regard
Dr. Douglas Anton.
For The management
Western Union Department

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam