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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. )
- "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. )
- 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: "Mr. Paul Johnson" <businessall265@gmail.com>
Reply-To: westernunionpaymento303@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2023 06:30:28 -0700
Subject: Attention: E-mail Address Owner
Dear Esteemed Beneficiary,
Western Union Money Transfer in conjunction with the United Nation
during their recently concluded meeting with the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) Payment Reconciliation Board Committee agreed to
pay you a total amount of ($350.000.00) Three Hundred and Fifty
Thousand US Dollars Only compensation fund. The awarded compensation
amount has been signed under giving credence ensuring your payment
transaction is devoid of any form of illegality to be paid to you for
the money you lost to scammers through internet frauds.
Your name appeared on our payment schedule list 2023 of beneficiaries
that will receive their funds in this 3rd Quarter Payment of the year
2023. The sum of $5,000.00 or US$10,000 daily sending or its
equivalent in your local currency will be transferred to you via
Western Union every day until all the ($350.000.00) is completely sent
to you.
Meanwhile, we have registered your First Payment Transfer Sum $5.000
USD online through Western Union Money Transfer. For you to confirm
your First Payment Transfer please follow the instructions. Open this
website: www.westernunion.com, then click "Track Transfer", then enter
this Tracking Number (MTCN) 666-089-0506 and click "Track Transfer" to
confirm you will see the status of the transaction online.
You are advised to get back to us immediately for further directives
to enable you to go and pick up your first transfer already sent in
any Western Union Office in your location.
Mr. Paul Johnson
Foreign Payment File Manager Western Union Agent
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Anti-fraud resources:
