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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:
- "security keeping 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. )
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
- 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.
Fraud email example:
From: DAVID MARK <meyer21robinson001@gmail.com>
Reply-To: DAVID MARK <dhl.delivery_company@workmail.com>
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2015 11:51:50 +0900 (JST)
Subject: CONTACT DHL COMPANY NOW FOR YOUR FUND PAYMNET
DHL COURIER COMPANY BENIN REPUBLIC
GEORGE WILLIAMS & COUNSELORS AT LAW
06 BP 1409 AKPAKPA DODOME
WEST AFRICA REPUBLIC OF BENIN.
PHONE: +22999757638
I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank Draft of $10.5m United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since
for couple of weeks now. Then I went to the bank to confirm if the draft has expired or getting near to expire and Dr.Philip Oduoza the Director Bank
of Africa told me that before the draft will get to your hand that it will expire. So I told him to upload the ($10.5m USD) United States Dollars
into Atm Master Card to avoid losing this funds under expiration as I will be out of the country for a 3 Months Course and I will not come back til
ending of September 2015.
What you have to do now is to contact DHL COURIER SERVICE as soon as possible to know when they will deliver your package to your residential address
in your country. For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charges, Insurance premium.the only money you will send to the DHL COURIER
SERVICES to deliver your package directly to your postal Address in your country is ($125.00 USD) only being their Security Keeping Fee of the
Courier Company so far. Again, don't be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except $125.00 US Dollars. I would have paid that but they said no
because they don't know when you will contact them and in case of dumorage.
You have to contact DHL COURIER SERVICES now for the delivery of your Atm Master Card' valued sum of (10.5million USD)
Directors Name: DR. GEORGE WILLIAMS
Company's Name:DHL COURIER SERVICES
Tel: +22999757638
Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address and Direct telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and ask them
to give you the tracking numbers after sending the payment to enable you track your package over there and know when it will get to your address. Let
me repeat again, try to contact them as soon as you receive this mail to avoid any further delay and remember to pay them their Security Keeping fee
of $125.00 to enable them to quicken the process of this issue immediately without any further delay'
Thanks for adhering to this instruction
Reply accordingly for more directives
Looking forward for your soonest update with a good response
Sincerely Yours
Sir.David Mark
HEAD OFFICE'SENOTORIAL ZONE
REPUBLIC OF BENIN
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