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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:
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- n00191lz@rediffmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr Nitin" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <n001911z@rediffmail.com>
Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 10:28:07 -0700
Subject: Attn: Ceo / President.
Attn: Ceo / President,
I`m a private consultant for very eminent personnel's in the Asian and Middle East region. These personnel's have appointed me to source
on their behalf a credible foreigner with whom they can jointly entrust a reasonable amount of money, which will be channeled into a highly lucrative business venture. They have US$ 25.6 M (Twenty-five Million Six Hundred Dollars) already transferred to a financial Firm.
They request strict confidentiality due to their public nature, they prefer to be anonymous hence I have been given the mandate to source for some one of high business experience with very good reputation.
This is the proposal in summary:
1. My client (s) are top politicians / government officials in the Asian and Middle East region they want the funds to be invested through a well-established businessman abroad who can front for them without disclosing their true identity.
2. All that is required is your willingness to invest this money for them in a highly lucrative business venture under strict profitable monitoring
3. A Power of Attorney will be given to you to manage these funds on their behalf.
4. You will be awarded as compensation a certain percentage from the proceeds of the investment, which is still negotiable.
Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual business endeavor by furnishing me with the following;
1. Full Name and Address
2. Direct Telephone and Fax Numbers
3. Occupation and Position
4. Nationality and Date of Birth
5. Marital status
6. Gender/sex
All correspondents should be forwarded to the email: n00191lz@rediffmail.com
Respectfully
Mr Nitin
This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual email addressee named. If you are not the named addressee, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this-mail.
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