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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "stamp duty" (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. )
- "consignment " (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "diplomatic delivery" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "cotonou" (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 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.
- diplomatagentt@kimo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Anthony Ego" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <moneygam49@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 4 Apr 2015 04:59:06 +0200
Subject: United Nations Diplomatic Delivery Agent!!!!!!!
Attention: beneficiary
This is to inform you that I have successfully booked delivery of your two (2) consignment boxes worth of $95 Million safely to your house address with out any delay. I am Mr. Anthony Ego, General Consultant and United Nations Diplomatic Delivery Agent in Washington Dulles International Airport United States of America.
You are therefore advice to submit all your information for onward delivery of your 2 register Consignment boxes deliver to you.
Passport id.
Full name.
Home or office address.
Direct telephone number/mobile number.
Fax number.
Country of origin.
Moreover I have made a special arrangement regarding your fund delivery to you, and before I will commence your delivery, I need to obtain your Stamp Duty Fee and the official cost of obtaining it is $500 only, you have to send the $500 with the instruction below, so that I will complete your fund delivery to you within the next six hours from the hour you send the $500 today.
Instruction to send the $500 through Western Union.
Receivers Name:........Ben Nwabunwanne
COUNTRY :... BENIN REPUBLIC
City : .......COTONOU
Test Question:.. OUR HOPE?
Answer :.. GOD.
Please e-mail me with the 10 digit MTCN# number of the $500 as soon as you send it.
Yours faithfully,
Mr. Anthony Ego
Email-(diplomatagentt@kimo.com)
Tel (206) 259-6167. Mr. Anthony Ego.
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Anti-fraud resources:
