419 scam: MR JOSEPH ANTHON <> MONEY GRAM REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT.

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

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:

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. )
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "transfer of your funds" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "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.
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.
- +22998376823 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: MR JOSEPH ANTHON <>
Reply-To: "MR JOSEPH " <money_gram60@outlook.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Dec 2015 04:07:53 +0900 (JST)
Subject: MONEY GRAM REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT.

MONEY GRAM REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT.
COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC/ADDRESS 455 AGBOKOU,ANKPA ROAD
OPPOSITE TUNDE MOTORS COTONOU.

OFFICE LINE, +229-98376823
E-MAIL:
WEBSITE: www.moneygram.com

Attn; My Dear,

Once again we are here to inform you that your name and email address was
submitted to our office by the Federal Ministry of Finance with the director
general of United Bank for Africa(U.B.A bank) Mr Phil Oduoza, We are
instructed
by the Federal Ministry of Finance to transfer your funds which is the sum of
US$700,000.00 to you, but due to our services we deducted the amount of daily
transaction as( $10,000.00 U.S.D) per day until you have received all your
total payment which is the sum of US$700,000.00 as scheduled here in our
office.

We wish to convey to you that every needed documents and other necessary
arrangement for the transaction of your payment has been completed by the
MoneyGram and was approved and signed by the Federal Ministry of Finance Benin
Republic, But we will not hesitate to inform you that it is now your
responsibility to officially settle for the re-validation administrative
charges of your payment file in order to enhance a successful transfer of your
funds.

Furthermore, we are therefore notifying you that you are to officially make an
administrative charge of ($85) to enable us proceed the re-validation of your
payment file through our head office here in Benin Republic. Note In MoneyGram
transfer,when the amount of funds in transaction is more than $10,000.00 U.S
Dollars per day, the document file will be re-validated before the transfer
will commence.

Also we want you to know that there is no where your funds will be transfer to
you without settling the re-validation of your payment file in order to
enhance
a successful transfer of your funds.As you know that this is a legitimate
transfer and that is why our Federal Ministry of Finance said that your file
which was deposited at this MoneyGram with your name must be re-validated
before the transfer will commence.

Be rest assure that as soon you send this $85usd, We must start transferring
your fund to you through this MoneyGram
Department without any further delay and this is the only fee you have to pay
in this transaction as it was written down already by the Federal government
that mapped out this compensation for you.
You shall send the $85usd via MoneyGram transfer to our cashier ,
Below is the destination address:

RECEIVER NAME:............JAMES MIKE.

COUNTRY................. Benin Republic.

LOCATION:.............Cotonou.

TEXT QUESTION............GOOD.

ANSWER...................NEWS.

AMOUNT...................$85.00usd.

MTCN..........................

SENDER NAME...................

We are waiting to hear from you today with your full contact information and
the payment details so as to enable us release

your fund to you immediately.
Looking forward for your anticipated response.

Best regards,
MR JOSEPH ANTHON.
Secretary Money-Gram International Benin Republic.
Tel Phone Number, +229 98376823

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam