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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:
- "trunk box" (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)
- "trunk boxes" (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)
- "diplomatic agent" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- 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.
- msgbahaalsalem@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Layal Alsalem" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <msgbahaalsalem@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2017 17:53:08 +0300
Subject: YOU WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS EMAIL
Hello Dear,
A very good day to you. I have an immediate business proposal.
Sorry for my English, I am using a google web translator.
I have $6.5million and 8million Euros that I want to move out of Syria. I have lost my husband in this war. This Syria war is never going to end. we want to remove all my money. We have millions dollars and euro currencies packed in two diplomatic trunk boxes.
When you read this email, please get back to me as soon as possible. I have a United Nation diplomatic agent that can bring the money from Syria to Macedonia or Greece. From there we can take them to you another location. I am not planning to leave Syria right now because I am still working and because of my position I cannot leave I must stay here. I only want my money out.
I wait to hear from you soon. Email: msgbahaalsalem@gmail.com
Please this is urgent!
Your sincerely.
Layal Al-Salem
Syrian Oil Company
Dummar Province Expransion Square ,
Island 19- Building 32
P.O.Box 2849, Damascus
Syria.
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https://www.avast.com/antivirus
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Anti-fraud resources:
