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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)
- "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)
- 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.
- salimanam522@yahoo.com.tw (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Madam Salim Anam <anamsalim35@yahoo.com.tw>
Reply-To: anamsalim35@yandex.com
Date: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 17:44:28 -0600
Subject: CAN I TRUST YOU......... REPLY////
Dear Friend,
I hope my mail will fine you and your family in good health. My name
is Anam Salim, I know it will be a big surprise for you to receive my
email because email like these fly over the internet telling people
about funds and every other things. but myself always receives offer
from the internet which I normally delete because I believe it will be
scam letter but please I beg you and I swear to the Allah I worship
that what am telling you is not a joke, if you follow everything I
have said in my letter both of us will be happy for the rest of our
life.
I am from Libya and my husband is one of the late Gaddafi sons
drivers. It was my husband who took Gaddafi family to Niger and
Algeria when they ran from Libya. But he came back to Libya and died
when their convoy was hit by NATO bomb. But he told me something very
important when he was alive. He told me how he took some money from
Gaddafi son and kept it in a secret place. He said the money is in us
Dollars 20.9 million Us Dollars and all kept in a big suitcase kept in
a secret hide out. And also 100 kilos of gold which he kept somewhere
else. I will give you information about all what am saying because
seeing is believing. I am presently out of Libya because we ran out
during the war.
Why am written you is because I want you to take ownership of the
funds and gold which my husband kept because if people knows that it
belongs to my late husband they will size it and report to the Libyan
government. My husband fights and died for his master so please I have
to keep everything secret until I hear from you. And please all what
is saying is just known by the both of us and nobody else.
I have 3 children for my husband and nothing to feed them here until I
can get hold of what I just told you but I still have to be very
carefully not to lose the money or the gold. I will give you 20% of
the fund if you will assist me. I will tell you how you can receive
the money and the gold when I hear from you. Also every other detail
will be given when I see your seriousness to help us receive the both
items. Please send me your direct details and phone number so we can
talk. My first son speaks English very well. Please reply with your
information. I also want you to know that the money and the gold are
not in Libya both of them are kept in different countries. I will let
you know the countries as soon as I hear from you; I will wait for
your response.
Please contact me with this Email (salimanam522@yahoo.com.tw)
your truly
MRS ANAM SALIM
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