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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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "the consignment" (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)
- "consignment " (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 orphan 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.
- abubakaraisha9@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Aisha Abubakar" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <abubakaraisha9@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:32:21 +0800
Subject: PLEASE REPLY
Dear Sir/Madam
How are you and your family? I hope they are fine? If so thanks be to God. Please sir/ma. let me use this opportunity to introduce myself. I am Ms Abubakar Aisha the eldest daughter of late Abubakar Muhammed Siad. . Iam 24yrs old ,and my mother name Abubakar Fatimah 59years old widow . i am the next of kin to the metallic strong box containing 6.5m usd clean cash which is lying down in K.L.I.A for safe keeping. Sir/Ma the fund is not a stolen or drug fund. My late Father was an owner of a small Gold and Diamond Corporation Company in my home town in Somalia. My father died as a result of power struggle. It was a political struggle. After his death i and my mother had to move to Ghana high commissioner in Ghana in Accra to resettle and also because of the consignment which was deposited by my late father Abubakar Muhammed Siad with security company before it was shipped to Malaysia but we are also not safe because if those in Somalia understand that we are still alive, the!
y will come after us and our life
Sir/Ma please do render us your TRUST and keep this transaction confidential for security reasons, because the fund is our life and our future. Sir/Ma I and my mother have agreed to offer you 20% for your assistance and 10% for any expenses you will carry out during this transaction including your phone calls. Sir/Ma we intend to invest wherever we finally reside and i believe you could be of useful assistance in area of investment. Please kindly reach me. So that I will forward you the entire vita document covering the consignment. Sir/Ma please do not under estimate our request because it is very important, we are planning to invest in an hotel business in your country. Please kindly send us your full information. Please contact me through my Email; abubakaraisha9@gmail.com
Thanks Abubakar Aisha
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