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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:
- "insurance 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. )
- "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 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. )
- "hundred thousand united state dollars" (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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "diplomatic agent" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "abuja" (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.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- aminemati41@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Amine Mati" <infooffice4@gmail.com>
Reply-To: aminemati41@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2017 23:16:18 +0100
Subject: Reply Urgently.
From Mr. Amine Mati
Mission Chief/Senior Resident Representative
9 Hon. Justice Mohammed Bello St.
Asokoro Abuja
Please Email here: aminemati41@gmail.com
Re: Urgent Attention. Sir/Madam.
This is to enlighten you of a very important information which will be
of a great help to redeem you from all the difficulties you have been
experiencing in getting your long over due payment due to excessive
demand of money from you by both corrupt Bank officials and Courier
Companies, Diplomatic agents and fraudulent barristers after which
your fund/payment remain unpaid to you.
I am Mr. Edward a highly placed official of the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) Africa. were I have been assigned to take responsibility of
your funds remittance to you without further delay. It may interest
you to know that reports have reached our office by so many
correspondence on the uneasy way which people like you are treated by
Various Banks and Courier Companies across Europe to Africa and Asia
and we have decided to put a stop to these nightmares, which is the
reason I was appointed to handle your transaction.
Note: your Compensation Fund worth Eight Million, Five Hundred
Thousand United State Dollars ($8.5M) And it was loaded in ZENITH BANK
ATM MASTER CARD. Due to so much scams so i decided to involve myself
on this. So all the payment will be forwarding to them all the
necessary arrangement has been made. The Good news we have for you is
to let you know that every arrangement regarding your Compensation
Fund including all the Documentations has been obtained. So your ATM
CARD is ready to dispatch in this office . And the only thing you have
to do is to send the insurance fee of your card which is $84 U.S.
DOLLARS. So as quickly as we receive the payment your ATM MASTER CARD
will be sent to you via FedEx Delivering Company to avoid any hitches
from any agency that will stop your delivery parcel from not getting
to your destination.
However, you have to hurry up and send the $84 U.S. DOLLARS only for
the insurance fee of your card, if we don't hear from you with the
payment information; the Federal Government will cancel the card.
Below is the payment information to make the insurance fee through
western union money transfer or money gram.
Receivers Name: Ibe victor.
Address......... Nigeria
Text Question..........GOOD
Text Answer......... Trust
Amount....... $84
Mtcn............
We also need your full name and address including your telephone
number for easy communication with you on the delivery because we will
not be held responsible for a wrong delivery. so I wait to hear from
you with the payment info to enable us proceed with the delivering of
your card.
Please Email here:
Regards,
Mr. Amine Mati
Mission Chief/Senior Resident Representative
International Monetary Funds
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