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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:
- "deadline" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "land" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mildthomas1@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 15:44:03 -0700
Subject: Best Mark Job
BestMark seeks individuals with a keen eye, who are extremely conscientious and responsible in honoring their commitments.
Successful BestMark mystery shoppers will be able to meet deadlines, follow detailed instructions and write fact-based reports to provide our clients with actionable data.
If you are interested in applying for consideration as a mystery shopper , Pls send in the following info:
Full names:
Full address(No p.o.box):
City and state:
Zipcode:
Phone number:
Hiring manager,
Tom
Note: All funds would be sent to you prior to your assignments
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Anti-fraud resources:
