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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. )
- 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 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.
- mgram934@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: " MRS.ROSE DOSSOU" <w.union011headoffice@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mgram934@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 10:39:01 -0700
Subject: FROM UNO COMPENSATION OFFICE
FROM MONEY GRAM BANK OFFICE.
NOTE THAT WE HAVE DECIDED TO PAY YOU YOUR MONISE THROUGH MONEY GRAM
URGENT REMMITTING OFFICE SINCE YOU WAS UNABLE TO RECEIEVE
YOUR MONEY THROUGH WESTERN UNION DUE TO THEIR MANAGEMENT BUT NOW WE
HAVE SENT YOUR FULL COMPENSATION PAYMENT OF
$1.500.000.00USD TO YOU THROUGH MONEY GRAM OFFICE,
YOU WILL BE RECEIVING 9,000.00USD PER DAY, BUT I WANT YOU TO CONTACT
THE MANAGEMENT IN MONEY GRAM RIGHT NOW AND ASK HIM FOR
YOUR FIRST PAYMENT .HIS NAME IS MR.PETER ADAM ASK HIM TO GIVE YOU THE
MONEY GRAM PAYMENT INFORMATION SO THAT YOU CAN BE ABLE
TO PICK UP YOUR FUNDS THROUGH MONEY GRAM OFFICE WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM.
EMAIL ADDRESS IS (mgram934@gmail.com)
AND CONTACT HIM WITH YOUR FULL INFORMATION.
CALL MR. PETER ADAM Tel: (+229) 98807967
Your name..................
Country......................
Phone no......................
Address/city...............
166GYAge/...................
CALL OR EMAIL HIM NOW SO THAT HE CAN PROVIDE THE MONEY GRAM
INFORMATION TO YOU AS URGENT AS YOU CAN.
BE NOTED THAT THE ONLY PAYMENT YOU ARE GOING TO PAY THEM IS $100.00USD
ONLY FOR TRANSFERRING YOUR FIRST PAYMENT OF $4500USD
TO YOU WITH OUT ANY DELAY.
THANKS AND GOD BLESSING YOU
MRS.ROSE DOSSOU
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