419 scam: "Mr. JOSEPH MARK" <lschaefer483@gmail.com> call Mr. John West immediately on {+229=98374976

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:
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a 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: "Mr. JOSEPH MARK" <lschaefer483@gmail.com>
Reply-To: westernunionmoneytransfer255@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 9 Nov 2013 11:20:37 +0100
Subject: call Mr. John West immediately on {+229=98374976

ATTENTION: DEAR

WE WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECEIPT OF YOUR EMAIL IN THIS WESTERN UNION
OFFICE AND THE CONTENT WAS WELL NOTED.

WE ARE INSTRUCTED TO SEND YOUR FUND TO YOUR ADDRESS IN YOUR CITY
THROUGH WESTERN UNION OFFICE FROM HERE IN BENIN REPUBLIC OFFICE OF
WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER DEPARTMENT AND YOU WILL BE RECEIVING YOUR
FUND ( $5,000.00 U.S.D ) PER DAY UNTIL YOU RECEIVE ALL YOUR TOTAL
PAYMENT WHICH IS THE SUM OF $1.5MIILION AS SCHEDULED IN OUR OFFICE
HERE.

THEREFORE, BE INFORMED THAT THROUGH THIS OUR MEDIUM OF WESTERN UNION
PAYMENT, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO BE RECEIVING US$5,000.00 EVERY DAY UNTIL
YOUR TOTAL FUND WHICH IS $1.5MILLION IS COMPLETELY PAID TO YOU, BUT
BEFORE THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO SEND THE REQUIRED FEE OF $145.00USD WHICH
WILL BE USED FOR THE RENEWING AND RECONFIRMATION OF YOUR PAYMENT FILE
TO ENABLE US START RELEASING YOUR PAYMENT AS SCHEDULED.

NOTE: THE REASON WHY WE NEED YOU TO SEND US THE $145.00USD IS THAT WE
TRIED TO DEDUCT THE TRANSFER FEE OUT FROM YOUR FUND BUT THE MINISTER
ADMINISTRATOR TRUST FUND OF BENIN REPUBLIC TOLD US THAT NO ONE HAS
ACCESS OVER YOUR FUND AS IT HAVE BEEN SIGNED AND STAMPED THAT NO MONEY
SHOULD BE DEDUCTED UNTIL IT GETS TO YOU TO AVOID ANY MISUNDERSTANDING
BECAUSE IF ANY ONE HAS ACCESS TO THAT IT WILL INVOLVE YOU LOOSING YOUR
FUND.

HERE IS YOUR FIRST PAYMENT OF US$5000.00 THAT WE HAVE BEEN ISSUED OUT
FOR YOU SINCE BUT IT WILL REMAIN ON HOLD UNTIL YOU SETTLED THE
REQUIRED $145.00 USD FOR US TO RE-NEWING AND RE-CONFIRMATION OF YOUR
PAYMENT FILE AS WELL BEFORE YOU CAN BE ABLE TO PICK IT UP OVER THERE
YOUR CITY LOCATION OUR WESTERN UNION OFFICE. MEANWHILE YOU CAN TRACK
IT AND CONFIRM THE MTCN BY WWW.WESTERNUNION.COM (The Status :
Available for pick up by receiver)

1. SENDER FIRST NAME_____favour
2. SENDER SECOND NAME____Emma ozoemena
3. TEST QUESTION_________VERY
4. TEST ANSWER___________URGENT
5. AMOUNT________________$5,000 USD
6. MTCN__________________2151931701 (Available for pick up by receiver)

THEREFORE, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO SEND THE REQUIRED FEE SO THAT YOUR
PAYMENT WILL BE RELEASED TO YOUR CITY WESTERN UNION OFFICE IMMEDIATELY
AND NOTE THAT ONCE WE CONFIRM THE FEE, YOU ARE GOING TO CONFIRMED YOUR
FIRST PAYMENT $5,000.00 USD IMMEDIATELY OVER THERE WITHOUT ANY FURTHER
DELAY AND YOUR OTHER PAYMENTS WILL FOLLOW AS WELL. BELOW IS OUR
ACCOUNTANT'S INFORMATION FOR YOU TO SEND THE $145.00 USD THROUGH OUR
WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER OFFICE:

RECEIVER'S NAME:................MICHAEL EFECHI
COUNTRY:............................... BENIN REPUBLIC
TEXT QUESTION:....................... GOD
ANSWER:.................................. WITH US.
AMOUNT:................................... $145.00 USD.
MTCN........?
SENDER'S NAME ..........?
COUNTRY.................?

WE ARE WAITING FOR YOUR URGENT RESPONSE TODAY TO ENABLE THIS OFFICE
KNOW YOUR ARRANGEMENT FOR THE PAYMENT AND WE WILL ALSO ADVICE YOU TO
KEEP YOUR TRANSACTION WITH US VERY CONFIDENTIAL SO THAT NOBODY WILL
PICK YOUR FUND BECAUSE WE WILL NOT BE HOLD RESPONSIBLE IF ANYBODY PICK
UP YOUR FUND FROM YOUR END.

THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AS WE ARE WAITING FOR YOUR URGENT RESPONSE SOON.

BEST REGARDS,

Mr. John West
D/LINE +299:98374976 IMMEDIATELY FOR MORE DETAIL
FOREIGN OPERATION MANAGER
WESTERN UNION OFFICE BENIN REPUBLIC
THIS IS OUR CONDUCT CODE (WU/BC/229)
FROM OFFICE OF THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
BENIN REPUBLIC/ADDRESS 455 AGBOKOU,ANKPA
ROAD OPPOSITE TUNDE MOTORS BENIN REPUBLIC.
UNION® WELCOME TO WESTERN UNION.
SEND MONEY WORLDWIDE.
WEBSITE: www.westernunion.com http://site.www.westernunion.com/
TEL/FAX: +299:98374976

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended Solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
are addressed. Dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail
or the information herein by anyone other than the intended
receipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering the
message to the intended recipient, is prohibited.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam