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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:
- "million united states dollars" (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.
Fraud email example:
From: "David James" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <david55378@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 31 May 2010 08:27:31 -0700
Subject: URGENTLY NEEDED
Dear Sir,
I represent a top company executive in Rusia. My name is David and I
am the Personal Accountant to the organization I have a very sensitive and
private offer from this top executive to ask for your partnership to re-profile
some offshore investment funds worth over Two Hundred Million United States
Dollars. I am constrained however to with old most of the details for now. But
in summary the invested funds are in a bank in South Africa, we need to terminate this
investments and re-profile the funds over to you for certain reasons. This is
due to the major shake ups and on going economic re-structuring policy in
Russia presently.
This is a legitimate transaction, if we are agreed on the terms you will be paid
10% for "re-profiling and subsequent management of the funds". If you are
interested, please write back by email Provide me with your trusted personal
telephone numbers and email address and I will give you further details.
Please keep this close to your chest as much as possible; we cannot afford any
political problems. Write me back.
I look forward to it.
Best regards,
James David.
Thanks
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Anti-fraud resources:
