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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:
- "million 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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: BLESSING GABA <blessing.gaba3@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: molinta600@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2010 02:47:40 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Donation for the work of God.
Donation for the work of God.
Dear Beloved in Christ,
My greetings goes to you and your family including our brothers and sisters in the house of the Lord. I am your sister in the Lord Evangelist Mrs blessing Elvis Roland a Britain citizen , I and my late husband worshiped at The Rock of God ministry London ,we are full born again Christian. Now i have been in Ever green health care London for 2 months because of the condition of my sickness since after my heart operation. Note:
The American doctor who is taking care of me here in this hospital said that I have only 35% survives in my next operation , I may die during the operation. I am donating this sum of USD$4.2 million dollars to your ministry for the work of God and this money is deposited by my late husband in Lehac assurance security company London for hospital project before his death and I am the next of kin to this fund. Farward all your church conatcts so that i will direct you to the security company director as the new next of kin who will withdraw the fund from their custody.
>From Evangelist blessing Elvis Roland.
Ever Green Health Care London
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Anti-fraud resources:
