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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
- 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.
- sherrymorganj@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Dr.Mark Adams" <tas57@att.net>
Reply-To: sherrymorganj@sify.com
Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 16:32:51 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: I'M HAPPY TO INFORM YOU
Dear Friend,
I'm happy to inform you about my success in getting the fund transferred to a Swiss Account with the co-operation of a new partner from Paraguay who is an international business man.
Presently I'm in Paraguay for investment projects with my own share of the total sum. Meanwhile, I did not forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me in transferring those funds despite that it failed us some how. So I have given my Secretary instruction on how you are to receive a Debit Card/ATM which contains the sum of $850.000.00 (Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand US Dollars) on your name which I have used as a compensation for your past effort.
Now contact my secretary her contact is:
Name: Mrs. Sherry Morgan
Email:sherrymorganj@sify.com
Ask her on how you are to receive the total $850.000.00 Debit Card/ATM (Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand US Dollars) which I kept for your compensation for all the past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter. I appreciated your efforts at that time very much.
So feel free and get in touched with my secretary Mrs. Sherry Morgan ask her to give you the contact information of the HSBC BANK LONDON as I have already instructed her to do so, so that you can let the HSBC BANK know where to send your Debit Card/ATM that contains the sum of $850.000.00 to you. Please do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share the joy after all the long suffering at that time. In the moment I am very busy here in Paraguay because of the investment projects which I and my new partner are having at hand.
Finally, remember that I had already forwarded an instruction to my secretary on your behalf to receive this Debit Card/ATM containing $850.000.00, so feel free to get in touch with Mrs. Sherry Morgan and she will give you the contact information of HSBC BANK LONDON to you without any delay.
Best Regards.
Dr.Mark Adams
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