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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:
- "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. )
- "lagos" (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.
Fraud email example:
From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: westernunion3543@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2020 19:39:54 -0700
Subject: WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFERS.
FOREIGN OPERATION TRANSFER OFFICE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFERS.
The (IMF) (UN) is compensating all the scam victims and your email address
was found in the scam victims list. This Western Union®office has been
mandated by the IMF and UN to transfer your compensation to you via
Western Union® Money Transfer.However, we have concluded to effect your
own payment through Western Union®Money Transfer, $5000,00 per a Day until
the total sum of($2.500`000`00 USD) is completely transferred to you the
receiver.We can not be able to send the payment with your email address
alone, we are here by needed your information to where we will be sending
the funds.
(Receivers name)............
(Country)...................... .
( Address)...................... ..........
(Phone Number).....................
(Your Age........................... .......
(ID copy)............. ..................
Note that your payment files will be returned to the IMF and UN within
48hours if we did not hear from you because this was the instruction given
to us by the IMF and UN here in East Africa Nigeria We will start the
transfer as soon as we received your information. You are hereby warned
not to communicate or duplicate this message for any reason what so ever
because the US FBI is already on trace of the criminals from Benin
Republic.
Yours in Service
MR. JAMES MIKE
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DIRECTOR
DEPARTMENT WESTERN UNION®
LAGOS, NIGERIA
CALL US @ +234(0)9073247028
western union International,always at your service.
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