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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. )
- "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. )
- "you are advise to" (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.
Fraud email example:
From: Western union payment <tony_william01@yahoo.cn>
Reply-To: westernunion_internationalpaymen@ymail.com
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2012 10:45:28 +0800 (CST)
Subject: (WUMT)Western union payment Notificatication
Western
Union®
Welcome to Western Union
Send
Money
Worldwide
Send
Money Worldwide
Western Union Office
BENIN.
ADDRESS: 455 AGBOKOU,ANKPA
ROAD
LAGOTES PALAR BENIN REPULIC.
Dr
Douglass Hall
Address;
St, Peter & Paul
Road
BENIN.
(WUMT)Western
union payment Notificatication
Dear Customer.
Breaking News,2012 This is to inform you that the higher Regulatory
authorities that is in-charge of international transaction has this morning
declared that you will receive your $950.000.00 through Western Union Money
Transfer Only as compensation for your past effort here in BENIN
REPUBLIC.
So the arrangement has been made this morning and the Federal High
Court Of Justice has signed your Western Union Transfer Papers and the only
money you will pay is $105 usd for the signing of it which means your transfer
will start tomorrow morning.The daily transfer of your fund is $5000.00 per day
until your total $950.000.00Usd is completely transferred to you.
I am here to swear to you that your first payment of the
$5000.00 daily transfer will be on its way today or latest tomorrow morning once
we confirm the $105 usd from you which is for the Federal High
Court Of Justice BENIN REPUBLIC signing of your Western Union Transfer
Papers.To show you the truth.
Below is the First transfer payment details which has been
insert into our computer.
Sender's First Name=== RAPHAEL
Sender's Last Name==
NKECHIKWULU
MTCN === 0421667124
Then we want you to type WWW.WESTERNUNION.COM
and click tracking and paste sender's first name and last name,the you paste
mtcn number and click check status to see that your first transfer of $5000.00
is available for you but you will not pick it until you pay the needed $105
usd for the signing of your Western Union Transfer Papers by the Federal High
Court BENIN REPUBLIC.
So we are here giving you this Western Union Payment Information
for you to send the $105 usd immediately and your first transfer of the $5000.00
will be on its way after we pick the $105 usd.
BELOW IS THE NAME THAT YOU WILL USE IN SENDING THE $105 USD FOR
YOUR PERUSAL.
RECEIVER'S NAME................ISAAC .O.
NWAKALOR
COUNTRY..........................................BENIN
REPUBLIC
CITY................................................COTONOU
TEXT
QUESTION.............................WHEN
ANSWER.......................................NOW
AMOUNT
NEEDED........................$105 USD ONLY
MTCN
NUMBER..................
We are waiting for your mail with the $105 USD from you and be rest
assured that you will receive your total compensation of $950.000.00 Usd from us
because this is General Western Union Head Office here in BENIN
REPUBLIC.
Finally you are advise to stop emailing any office or department
here in BENIN REPUBLIC until you receive your full compensation from us,this is
for your security.
Call us with this line....+229 68350 333 From Western Union
Money
Transfer Head Office BENIN REPUBLIC .Manager Dr . Douglass
Hall.
Best
Regards,
DR. DOUGLASS
HALL
Foreign Operation Manager
Western Union Office BENIN
REPUBLIC.
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