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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 beloved," (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
- This email message is a "dying widow" 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.
- mrshedward@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Hannah Edward" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrshedward@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009 23:04:33 +0100
Subject: DEAR BELOVED
DEAR BELOVED,
I AM MRS HANNA EDWARD FROM USA . I AM MARRIED TO DR.TOM EDWARD WHO WORKED WITH CHEVRON/TEXACO IN EGYPT FOR TWENTY YEARS BEFORE HE DIED IN THE YEAR 2003.
WE WERE MARRIED FOR TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS WITHOUT A CHILD, HE DIED DURING ONE OF THE RIOTS IN THE EGYPT. HE WAS HELD HOSTAGE AND SLAIN TO DEATH BY PROTESTING YOUTHS OF THE REGION IN EDO STATE BEFORE HIS DEATH WE WERE BOTH BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS.
SINCE HIS DEATH I DECIDED NOT TO RE-MARRY.WHEN MY LATE HUSBAND WAS ALIVE HE DEPOSITED THE SUM OF (US$60 MILLION) WITH A BANK IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF BENIN AND NOW THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BANK HAVE JUST WROTE ME TO COME FORWARD TO RECEIVE THE MONEY OR RATHER ISSUE A LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION TO SOMEBODY TO RECEIVE IT ON MY BEHALF IF I CAN NOT COME OVER BECAUSE OF MY CONDITION AT HAND.
I AM PRESENTLY WITH MY LAPTOP IN A HOSPITAL WHERE I HAVE BEEN UNDERGOING TREATMENT FOR CANCER OF THE LUNGS, I HAVE SINCE LOST MY ABILITY TO TALK AND MY DOCTORS HAVE TOLD ME THAT I HAVE ONLY A FEW MONTHS TO LIVE. IT IS MY LAST WISH TO SEE THAT THIS MONEY IS INVESTED AND AT THE END OF EVERY YEAR DISTRIBUTED AMONG CHARITY ORGANIZATION. AND FOR YOUR COMPENSATION, AS SOON AS THE MONEY ENTERS YOUR ACCOUNT TAKE 20% OF THE TOTAL MONEY, WHILE 80% WILL BE FOR THE WORK OF GOD.
I TOOK THIS DECISION BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF POOR PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM DIFFERENT KIND OF DISEASE AND NOBODY TO COME TO THEIR AID.WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. AS SOON AS I RECEIVE YOUR REPLY I SHALL GIVE YOU THE CONTACT OF THE BANK WERE THE MONEY IS BEEN DEPOSITED .
I WILL ALSO ISSUE YOU A LETTER OF AUTHORITY AND CERTIFICATE OF CLAIM THAT WILL PROVE YOU AS THE NEW BENEFICIARY OF THIS FUND.
GET BACK TO ME via my email which is: mrshedward@gmail.com
I AWAIT YOUR URGENT REPLY.
Yours,
MRS. HANNA EDWARD
mrshedward@gmail.com
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