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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:
- "activation fee" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "00,000.00" (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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Brenda Williams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <louis-anderson@live.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:03:52 -0800
Subject: UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION PAYMENT.
BARCLAYS BANK PLC LONDON
FROM: BRENDA WILLIAMS
HEAD OF INTERSWITCH DEPARTMENT
BARCLAYS BANK PLC LONDON
BARCLAYS BANK PLC COMPENSATION UNIT, IN AFFILIATION WITH THE UNITED NATIONS.
ATTN: PAYMENT RECEIVER.
This is to bring to your notice that, we have shouldered the re-activation fee and the delivery of your ATM card to your doorstep. We paid this fee because the
ATM Card having the sum of 400,000.00 pounds, has less than two weeks to expire and when it expires the money will go into United Kingdom reserved bank account. With that we decided to help you pay the fees so that the ATM will not expire, since we have been mandated to get back to the United Nations the report of your payment before the end of this month.
You are to contact the ROYAL MAIL WORLD DISTRIBUTION LTD with your Full Contact information so that they can deliver your Card to your designated address without any delay. Like we stated earlier, The delivery charges has been paid but we did not pay their official keeping fees since they refused. They refused and the reason is that they do not know when you are going to contact them and dumourage might have increased by then.
They told me that their keeping fees is 20 pounds daily and we deposited it last week.
Below is their Contact Informations;
Contact Person: Louis Anderson
Royal Mail World Distribution Ltd
Email: louis-anderson@live.co.uk
Tel: +44 792 457 0665
Contact Today to avoid increase of their keeping fees and let me know once you receive your Card.
Mrs. Brenda Williams
Head of Interswitch Department
Barclays Bank Plc London
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Anti-fraud resources:
