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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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. )
- "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. )
- "registration 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. )
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (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.
- 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.
- terrence.mcculey3@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "U.S AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <terrence.mcculey3@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2013 18:30:33 -0200
Subject: U.S AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA
U.S AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA
PLOT 1075 DIPLOMATIC DRIVE
u. CENTRAL DISTRICT AREA, ABUJA
EMAIL----{terrence.mcculey3@gmail.com}
PHONE: +234-81850-97788
DEAR: SIR/ MADAM,
AFTER AN OFFICIAL MEETING HELD WITH THE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA AND MINISTER OF FINANCE CONCERNING UNPAID AND UNCLAIMED FUNDS TO
FOREIGN BENEFICIARIES, JUST LIKE YOU.I WAS VERY MUCH ANNOYED WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT YOU PAID MUCH MONEY YET YOU NEVER RECEIVE
YOUR FUNDS.THAT IS WHY I DECIDED TO HELP YOU.
I SHALL BE COMING TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR AN OFFICIAL MEETING AND I WILL BE BRINGING YOUR ATM CARD WORTH THE $15.8 MILLION ALONG
WITH ME THROUGH UNITED STATES DIPLOMATIC MISSION TO YOUR COUNTRY.BUT THIS TIME I WILL NOT GO THROUGH CUSTOMS BECAUSE AS AN
USA AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA, I AM A USA GOVERNMENT AGENT AND I HAVE THE VETO POWER TO GO THROUGH CUSTOMS.JUST LIKE I HELPED
FOUR PERSONS TO RECEIVED THEIR FUNDS THIS YEAR 2013 THROUGH FEDEX COURIER SERVICE AND TNT COURIER SERVICE.TO PROVE YOU THE
TRUE,YOU SHOULD TRACK THE BELOW TRACKING
NUMBERS AND SEE IT YOURSELF:
1.) WWW.FEDEX.COM
TRACKING NO: 509265861199
2.) WWW.FEDEX.COM
TRACKING NO: 537053444807
3.) WWW.FEDEX.COM
TRACKING NO: 898891698600
MAKE SURE YOU TRACK IT FIRST AND SEE IT YOURSELF.AND AS SOON AS I AM THROUGH WITH THE MEETING I SHALL THEN PROCEED TO YOUR
HOME..(SEND YOUR INFORMATION:
1. YOUR FULL NAME
2. CELL PHONE NUMBER
3. ADDRESS WHERE YOU WANT ME TO BRING THE PACKAGE).
4. COUNTRY
YOU HAVE REALLY PAID SO MUCH IN THIS DELIVERY THAT MAKES ME WONDER. YOU ARE A VERY LUCKY PERSON BECAUSE I SHALL BE BRINGING
IT MYSELF AND THERE IS NOTHING ANYONE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
YOUR ATM VISA CARD WORTH THE SUM OF ($15.8M) MUST BE REGISTERED AS AN AMBASSADORIAL PACKAGE FOR ME TO DEFEAT ALL ODDS AND THE
COST OF REGISTERING IS $205.
THE FEE MUST BE PAID IN THE NEXT 50 HOURS VIA WESTERN UNION OR MONEY GRAM SO THAT ALL NECESSARY ARRANGEMENT CAN BE MADE
BEFORE TIME WILL BE AGAINST US.
THE $205 REGISTRATION FEE IS NOT FOR ME AND I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR MONEY AM AN AMBASSADOR AND ALSO A MAN OF GOD. IF
YOU ARE NOT PAYING THE $205 FEE PLEASE IN THE NAME OF GOD ALMIGHTY DON'T BOTHER TO SEND ME AN EMAIL.
I AM ONLY TRYING TO HELP YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE REALY LOST SO MUCH TO THOSE CRIMINALS CALLED NIGERIANS AND AS A USA CITIZEN I
AM GOING TO MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR ATM CARD THIS TIME SO YOU DON’T NOOED TO WORRY ANYMORE.
SEND THE FEE VIA MONEY GRAM OR WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER:
RECEIVER'S NAME: OKORO CHENEDU
ADDRESS: LAGOS, NIGERIA
TEXT QUESTION: IN GOD?
ANSWER: WE TRUST
AMOUNT: $205
MTCN NUMBER:
AS SOON AS YOU SEND THE FEE MAKE SURE YOU SEND ME THE PAYMENT INFORMATION.I SHALL YOU MY FLIGHT SCHEDULE TO YOU.PLEASE GO
THROUGH MY WEBSITE AND READ BIOGRAPHY:
http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/biography.html
MY FLIGHT IS THURSDAY AND I EXPECT YOU TO COMPLY BEFORE THEN SO THAT THE DELIVERY CAN BE COMPLETED. IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY,
THEN IT WILL NOT BE MY FAULT IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE YOUR PACKAGE EMAIL ME AT U.S AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA
AMBASSADOR TERRENCE MCCULEY
EMAAIL----{terrence.mcculey3@gmail.com}
PHONE: +234-81850-97788
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Anti-fraud resources:
