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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:
- ",000,000" (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)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: CYNTHIA WOOD <cy55wood@uku.co.uk>
Reply-To: cy55woodtsb@uku.co.uk
Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:58:49 +1100
Subject: INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY
Lloyds Bank TSB
25 Gresham Street
London EC2V 7HN
Attns:
Briefly, I am Cynthia Wood a citizen of London and work as a group finance director in Lloyds Bank Tsb London.
I discovered a dormant account in my office, as Group finance director with Lloyds bank London . It will be in my interest to transfer this fund worth {£20,000,000} Twenty million GB Pounds Sterling in an account offshore. If you can be a collaborator to this please indicate interest immediately for us to proceed.
Remember this is absolutely confidential. My husband does not know about this. My family will be in shambles if it burst out and I will also be in trouble as well as lose my precious job.
Your contact phone numbers and name will be necessary for this effect.
Regards and respect,
Cynthia Wood.
Group Finance Director
Lloyds Bank TSB London
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Anti-fraud resources: