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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "euroafriq lotto award" (no such lottery exists)
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
- They don't notify winners by email.
- You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
- They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
- They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
- They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
- They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
- They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
- 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.
- 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.
- treasuryofficedept2001@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Mrs serina gomez <samip_artguy@yahoo.co.in>
Reply-To: treasuryofficedept2001@yahoo.fr
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2010 06:08:36 +0530 (IST)
Subject: ATTENTION TO THE OWNER OF THIS EMAIL ADDRESS
INTERNATIONAL LOTTO ORGANISATION
Juan Hirado De Mendoza AD 28044,
Cotonou Republia du Benin
UNCLAIMED LOTTO PRIEZ PAYEMENT NOTICE.
ATTENTION TO THE OWNER OF THIS EMAIL ADDRESS;
Winner in the 2nd category of our Euroafriq free Net
Lottery Promotional award draws held December 2009.
I am writing in respect to your lotto winning prize of
$2.5 Million which you won through
the email ballot draws in our Euroafriq Lotto Award in
2009 in the second category prize winnings category.
We wish to inform you that your total prize money of
$2.5 Million has been returned to us by our Lotto claims
agent as unclaimed prize after their initial letter to
your address for your payment was not successful.
You are here by requested to contact our Treasury
Office on telephone +22999480016 or
email: (treasuryofficedept2001@yahoo.fr) for your immediate
payment.Our Treasury officer's name is Frank Ray,
so refer this to him and contact him immediately for
your unclaimed lotto prize payment to you.
You should contact our Treasury Officer as directed
above for your payment, and do notify me as soon as you
received your payment from our Treasurer.
Thanks,
Mrs serina gomez.
President; Int'l Lotto Org.
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Anti-fraud resources:
