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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 us 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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "abidjan" (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.
Fraud email example:
From: Miss Mariam Youssof <mariamasof@cantv.net>
Reply-To: mariamyous@cantv.net
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2010 11:36:00 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Good day.
Good day.
Dear One, I am a girl of 19 years old, my name is Ms Mariam Youssouf
citizen of cote d'Divoire, a university student studying law to become a
lawyer after graduating. I have a very bad problem now and that is why i
am contacting you for an urgent assistance.
My mother died of (T/B) Tuberculosis years back. My father is late MR
AHMAD YOUSSOUF. my father was a well known politician here in cote d'
ivoire. You may heard over the BBC OR CNN concerning the political
crisis happening here, and last year the election of the country was
canceled because of some problem that is going on even till today. This
is to tell you how my country is now I thank God that i was not at home
when what i am about to tell you happened but it was a deep shock to me
and also what i do not think that i can forget so easily. Is about my
father's death my father was murdered in our house here by unknown
people but after a year now i come to realise that it was the hand work
of the great people in power who master minded the act. I can not fight
them so i leave vengeance to God.
Now it is like my father knew what was going to happen because he call
me one day and told me that he has $6.5million us dollars with a bank
here in Abidjan for safe keeping only. And he told me that he use my
name as next of kin to that money, but warned me not to tell any body
about this. He told me that he deposited this money as a fixed deposit
account for 5 years. Now i seek your urgent help to have this money
transferred to your country from the bank as my late father's partner in
business, and also to help me get resident permit to come and live with
you in your country and further my education there. while you will help
me to invest the money in your country since i do not know anything
concerning business.
This transaction is 100% risk free and we are to discuss on the
percentage which you are to take from the total money for your urgent
help after confirming that you will assist in this soonest.
Thanks as you reply urgently.
Regards
Miss Mariam Youssouf
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