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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "hundred thousand 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 next of kin scam.
- 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.
- hughesherbert11@abv.bg (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
- to you united bank for africa (uba) email: hughesherbert11@abv.bg@abv.bg payment officer: rev. sherbert kwame hughe. mr. kafui (Abv; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Kafui Bimpe <kafuibimpe898@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2013 20:02:41 +0100
Subject: Attention
Am Mr. Kafui Bimpe, I am the manager of auditing and accounting department
of United Bank Of Africa (U.B.A) here GHANA. In my department we discovered
an abandoned sum of US$15.5M Dollars (FIFTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED
THOUSAND US DOLLARS) in an account that belongs to one of our Foreign
Customer ( MR. ANDREAS SCHRANNER From Munich, Germany) Who died along with
his entire family in July 2000 in a plane crash for more information about
the crash you can visit this site:: (
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm)
Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his Next
of Kin or relatives to the deceased as indicated in our bank guidelines and
laws but unfortunately we learn that all his supposed Next of Kin or
relation died alongside with him at plane crash leaving nobody behind for
the claim.
It is therefore upon this discovery that I decided to make this business
proposal to you and present you as the next of kin or relation to the
deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for
it. I don't want this money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed bill,
Contact (UBA) Bank with this verification code (W11062011), contact details
below for instruction on how to transfer this inheritance to you
United Bank for Africa (UBA)
Email: hughesherbert11@abv.bg@abv.bg
Payment Officer: Rev. Sherbert Kwame Hughe.
Mr. Kafui Bimpe.
Yours Faithfully,
BRANCH MANAGER.
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