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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. )
- "money transfer control number" (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. )
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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: Ecowas Union Org <ecounionorg@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Ecowas Union Org <ecowasuionorg@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 08:12:45 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Your Payment Details.
Attention: Fund Owner,
We the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have actually been authorized by the presidency and the governing board of UNITED NATION (U.N) to investigate the unnecessary delay on all the pending transfer, Inheritance Funds/ Contract/ Lottery & Compensation Funds.
During the course of our investigation, we discovered with dismay that your transfer has been unnecessarily delayed by corrupt officials of the Bank who are trying to divert your money into their private accounts.
Based on our recommendation /instructions, the sum of ($10.5 Million USD) has been deposited in your favor at Western Union Money Transfer payment system which you will withdrawing $50,000.00 daily in any nearby Western Union at your location after you might send the required Documentary Stamp Tax sum of $125 USD.
Click the tracking website bellow & track your first payment online with the bellow details for your confirmation
https://wumt.westernunion.com/asp/orderstatus.asp
1) Money transfer control number…….9877054695
2) Sender First Name…………………….Ossai C
3) Sender Second Name…………………..Matthew
Then you click........................................Check Status
You will see your payment available to pick up by receiver but you cannot be able to pick until you send the required tax sum
We hereby advised you to stop any further communication out of this contact and send the One Hundred And Twenty Five United State Dollar via the Western Union Management receiving information as stated bellow and forward to us the transfer document for their immediate action:
Receiving Name: Ossai C. Matthew
Address: BF 20520
City: Ouagadougou
Country: Burkina Faso.
Question: Where
Answer: Burkina
NOTE: You must stop any further communication outside this office to avoid any mismanagement of information and you should not inform any office in your country concerning your upcoming fund until we forward your payment related documents to avoid exposing your payment to the international monitoring fund.
We hope your urgent cooperation
Yours Sincerely
Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo
President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States.
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