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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:
- "clearance certificate" (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. )
- "clearance certificate" (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. )
- "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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "united state of america" (this email uses bad English)
- "economic and financial crime commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "(efcc)" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- dramos_usman@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "USMAN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <dramos_usman@sify.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2010 23:56:23 +0700
Subject: ATTN MY GOOD FRIEND
ATTN :-
I am DR AMOS USMAN (The New Assistance Chairman) Economic And Financial Crime Commission, committee know as (EFCC) in conjunction with The FBI Of United State of America we hereby notified you that base on the meting we held in Abuja today I decided to contact you because of the prevailing security report reaching my office and the intense nature of polity in Nigeria. This is to inform you about our new plan to send your fund to you via cash Delivery; this system will be easier for you and for us. We are going to send your contract part payment of US$5. Million to you via courier service and we are going to monitor your consignment until it gets to your address which you will proved. So all you need to do is to send us your information to avoid mistake, see it below:-
1. Your full house address
2. Your identity such as, international passport or driver's license
3. Your contact phone numbers.
The Courier Agents attached will travel with this required information's For the delivery of your fund. He will call you immediately he arrives Your country's airport. I hope you understand me.
I will let you know when these consignments will be lifted, and Note:The Agent does not know the original contents of the boxes. What declared to them as the contents is Sensitive Photographic Film Material. I did not declare money to them please. If they call you and ask you the contents please tell them the same thing ok.
Call me immediately and I will let you know how far I have gone with The arrangement. I will secure the clearance Certificate that will be tagged on the boxes which I will dispatch along with the security inner Keys of the consignments to enable you access these consignments has soon as it delivered to you. This clearance will make it pass every custom checkpoint all over the world without hitch.Confirm the receipt of this message and send the requirements to me Immediately you receive this message.Please I need your urgent reply because the boxes are schedule to airlift as soon as we hear from you.
Call me immediately you receive this message.
Best Regards,
DR AMOS USMAN
The New Assistance Chairman) Economic And Financial Crime Commission, Telephone No:-234-813-892-2742 email :-dramos_usman@sify.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
