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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:
- "required 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. )
- "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. )
- "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.
- 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.
- homlan.dept25@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: John F Kelly <www.@isis.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: John F Kelly <homlan.dept25@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2018 08:33:03 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Aurgent Attention Beneficiary
In regards to your mail received and i want you to be informed that your money cannot be send to you without effect the payment of
the $135 for re-newing and recofirmation of your file that was deposited in this office the necessary thing you have to do now is to
send the needed fee of $135 to us today so that your funds can be finallzed to you immediately.
As soon as the required fee of $135 is send today for the re-newing reconfirmation the payment file of your funds you will start
receiving your funds $5100.USD per a day starting from tomorrow.
Below is the information required to send the $135.00 today through Western Union money transfer to make it faster and easier.
RECEIVER NAME: …………….OBAH EKENE
COUNTRY: ……….. BENIN
ADDRESS: …………………COTONOU
AMOUNT:…………. $135
SENDER NAME: …………..
MTCN NUMBER: …………….
Note:The required fee of renewing and reconfirming the payment file of your fund cannot be Deducted from your fund USD$10.500,000.00
, from our side for this is our mode of operation or manipulation.This is in accordance our Country law, with section 13(1)(n) of the
National Act as adopted in 1993 and amended on 3RD July 1996 by the constitutional assembly.This is to protect customers.
Please don’t forget to send the MTCN number to us immediately you send the money and make sure that you send with this information to
avoid mistake ok. Waiting to have the MTCN.
Sincerely, HON JOHN F KELLY
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
homlan.dept25@gmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
