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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. )
- "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. )
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "federal high court" (This court is often mentioned in '419' scams to give the victim a reason why he/she should send thousands of dollars to the scammers. A 'Federal High Court' exists in Germany and Nigeria, but not in other countries, such as the UK, Spain, Netherlands, Senegal, Benin, South Africa or other countries where fake lawyers in scams often claim to be based. )
- "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.
- 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.
- moneygram34@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: MONEY GRAM <moneygramm171@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: moneygram24@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2012 13:00:49 +0100 (BST)
Subject: YOUR FIRST PAYMENT HAS SENT THIS MORNING BELOW ARE YOUR PAYMENT INFORMATION.
GOOD DAY MY DEAR CUSTOMER,
THIS URGENT MESSAGE IS COMING TO YOU
FROM THE MONEY GRAM HEAD OFFICE BENIN
REPUBLIC. DEAR FIRST OF
ALL I WANT TO INTRODUCE MY SELF TO YOU. MY NAME IS MR.KENNETH WILLIAM THE NEW
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MONEY
GRAM BENIN
REPUBLIC. THE FORMER
MANAGER WAS SACKED THIS WEEK AFTER THE
FEDERAL HIGH COURT OF BENIN DECLARED HIM 10 YEARS IN IMPRISONMENT DUE TO HIS
SCAMMING ATTITUDE BY SCAMMING PEOPLE WITH THIS MONEY GRAM AND HE HAVE POLLUTED
THIS COUNTRY BENIN REPUBLIC OK.
SO I WAS DIRECTED YESTERDAY BY THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE DR FELIX HILL THAT I SHOULD TRANSFER YOUR FUNDS TO YOU
TODAY BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN SCAMMED MANY TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS VERY FUNDS YOU
ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE. THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU ARE TO RECEIVE IS THE SUM OF
$200,000,00 (TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS) AND YOU WILL BE
RECEIVING $5000.00 PER DAY UNTIL YOU RECEIVE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $200,000, 00.
SO THE MINISTER SAID THAT YOU HAVE
TO PAY FOR TRANSFERRING CHARGE WHICH IS $110 AND IT IS THE ONLY MONEY YOU ARE TO
PAY BUT DUE TO YOUR FINANCIAL PROBLEM I WILL ADVISE YOU TO PAY ANY AMOUNT YOU
HAVE TODAY OR TOMORROW AS FROM $75 UP FOR THIS PAYMENT TO RELEASED TO YOU
CORRECT.SO THAT YOU WILL START RECEIVING YOUR FUNDS TODAY. SO PLEASE GO AHEAD
NOW ONCE YOU RECEIVE THIS EMAIL AND MAKE THE PAYMENT OF ANY AMOUNT YOU HAVE.
YOUR FIRST PAYMENT HAS SENT THIS
MORNING THROUGH WESTERN UNION BELOW ARE YOUR
PAYMENT DETAILS.
MTCN:::::::3090365458
SENDER 'S NAME::::AUGUSTINE
SENDER'S LAST NAME:::EMEKA
TEST QUESTION:::WHO IS ABLE?
TEST ANSWER::::GOD
AMOUNT:::$5000
BELOW IS THE INFORMATION YOU WILL
USE TO MAKE THE PAYMENT:
1. Receiver Name: ======= NWAEZEAGU DIKE
2. City/Country:========== Cotonou - Benin
Republic .
3. Question=============who is Able
4. Answer:=============God
GET BACK TO ME WITH BELOW.
5. Amount:=============
6. MTCN: =========
7. Sender Name=====
8.ADDRESS======
9.TEL========
DEAR PLEASE UR URGENT RESPONSE IS HIGHLY NEEDED.
YOURS, MR.KENNETH WILLIAM
MANAGER MONEY GRAM.
YOUR URGENT RESPOND IS HIGHLY NEEDED.
WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU AS SOON AS
YOU RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE TO QUICKEN THE PROCESS OF THE RELEASING YOUR PAYMENT
TO YOU TODAY. THEN CONTACT US WITH YOUR FULL
INFORMATION.
EMAIL ADDRESS :( moneygram34@hotmail.com
)
PHONE NUMBER: +229-9971 3991
GOOD DAY MY DEAR CUSTOMER
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