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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 british pounds" (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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +447035911851 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
Fraud email example:
From: Tom West <johnmaxwell020@yahoo.co.uk>
Reply-To: tomwest212@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2012 11:26:41 +0100 (BST)
Subject: HELLO
From:Mr.Tom West.
Address: #7 Mitchley Road Tottenham London N17 9HG
Occupations: External Auditor
Hello,
Very Urgent And Confidential
Greetings.I am Mr.Tom West, One of the chief executive and I work in the International operation department in a Bank here in London. My purpose of contacting you is that I am looking for a Reliable partner in a foreign country to replace as the next of kin to a dormant account that have not been operated for years in my bank with a total sum of £138,000,000.00 (One Hundred And Thirty Eight Million British Pounds Sterling Only) and on further discreet investigation I also discovered that the account holder has long since passed away (dead) and leaving no beneficiary to the account .
I contacted you because you are a foreigner and I will provide to you the necessary claim documents the bank will require from you in other to claim this fund.
I will inform you on what to do if you are going to assure me that you will not betray me and my family with this fund in your possession so as to enable me to start the paper work immediately without further delay.
This money will remain useless in this dormant account if I did not transfer the fund out to a foreign account.
{1)Your private Tel/fax numbers...
{2} Your Country.................
{3} Your Age....................
Keep this business within your self for security and safe reasons.
Have a pleasant day.
Sincerely,
Yours,
Mr.Tom West.
Phone +447035911851
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