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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:
- 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)
- "my direct line" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- davidcoulibaly2009@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: davi couli <dav10coulib@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 16:31:40 +0000
Subject: Reply
Good day
Please don't be surprise to receive this letter; it is not a mistake. I am
David Coulibaly, the only son of late Chief Coulibaly a cocoa and gold
business merchant.I have the sum of twelve million dollars (USD12.000,000)
which I inherited from my late parents. I wish to invest the fund in your
country; so I want you to assist me to transfer and invest the fund proper
in your country.
I promise to give you 15% of the total fund. Please write me back
immediately to my private mailbox if you are interested and capable. Reply
to ( davidcoulibaly2009@hotmail.com ).
Or you can call me on my direct line +233 232254456.
Thanks
David Coulibaly
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Anti-fraud resources:
