joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

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:

Fraud email example:

From: "Western Union" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <western_uniondept@linuxmail.org>
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 04:56:03 -0300
Subject: FROM OFFICE OF THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER

Good day,
 
We have concluded to Send your payment through western union $5,000.00 daily until the ($2.5MILLION ) is completely transferred. Mean while,Mr Dale Buggins has Send you $5,000.00 in your name today. So contact our Western union payment Agent to SEND you the mtcn to pick up this $5000 now:
 
 
CONTACT PERSON:  Mrs.Brandy Cole
Email Address: (western_uniondept@linuxmail.org)
 
 
Please remember to Call and ask him to give you the mtcn, sender name, question and answer to pick you to $5,000.00. Also you should send to him your information's.
:
Your receiver name: :::::::::::
Your full name:  :::::::::::::
Your address:
Your country!: .::::::::::::::::
Your direct phone number:: ::::::
Text question and answer::::::::
 
Thanks
Mr Williams Harrington
FROM DIAMOND BANK Western Union Department.

Anti-fraud resources: