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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:
- "moneygram" (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.
- MoneyGram money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. Along with Western Union it is a preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
- 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.
- 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.
- mmgramoffice@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Money Gram Head Office" <mngramoffice@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mmgramoffice@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2015 11:21:22 -0300
Subject: Your Reference #:81135224 is Ready
MONEY GRAM HEAD OFFICE OFFICE
Email (mmgramoffice@gmail.com)
DIRECT PHONE +229-99108250
website. www.moneygram.com
Dear Customer
WELCOME TO MONEY GRAM MONEY TRANSFER OFFICE.WE THE BOARD MEMBERS OF
MONEY GRAM OFFICE WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE THER ECEIPT OF YOUR EMAIL AND WE
ARE INSTRUCTED TO SEND YOUR FUND TO YOU FROM OUR MONEY GRAM OFFICE
HERE,AND YOU WILL BE RECEIVING YOUR FUND ( $5,000.00 U.S.D ) PER DAY
UNTIL YOU RECEIVE ALL YOUR TOTAL PAYMENT WHICH IS THE SUM OF $7.5
Million AS SCHEDULED IN OUR OFFICE HERE.
I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TO COPY OUT THE
PAYMENT INFORMATION AS BELOW AND VISIT ANY OF OUR MONEY GRAM OFFICE
AROUND YOU IN YOUR COUNTRY TO PICK UP YOUR FUND . OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE
RECEIVED THEIR FUNDS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH.
Use the below info to pick up your money now.
Reference #:81135224
Amount: $5,000
Text question: what
Text Answer: Queen
Sender name.... joseph chilokwu
DO LET ME KNOW ONCE YOU PICK UP THE MONEY FROM ANY MONEY GRAM OFFICE
IN YOUR COUNTRY SO THE MANAGEMENT WILL SEND YOU THE SECOND TRANSFER
IMMEDIATELY.
Call me on this number +229-99108250 once you are back from Money Gram
Office.
Feel free to reach us on the above email address.
Customer Care Case Management Team Money Gram International,
DR.DON WILLIAMS
CONTACT ME (mmgramoffice@gmail.com
CALL +229-99108250
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