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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.
- 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.
- +447024025977 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
- 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.
- shellpetroleum.unitedkingdom@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Tracy Miller" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mtcl002@yahoo.com.cn>
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 14:34:38 -0700
Subject: RE: YOU HAVE BEEN SHORTLISTED
Shell U.K. Limited
Shell Centre
London SE1 7NA
United kingdom
Phone:+(44)702-4025-977
Fax: +(44)-844-774-2592
ATTN: APPLICANT,
INTERNATIONAL EXPATRIATE OFFICIAL ONLINE JOB INTERVIEW
Your name has been shortlisted/Chosen among the Lucky Jobseeker's who
submitted the CV to the ONLINE JOB SEARCH, before we issue you an
urgent Success Letter and the Contract Document You have to answer the
attached International Online Job Interview.(scan and sent it back to me
via E-mail: shellpetroleum.unitedkingdom@hotmail.com
Get back to me as soon as possible.
Regards
Eng,Andy Hurst,
(Head Of Human Resource)
Shell Petrol.(UK)
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Anti-fraud resources:
