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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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- 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.
- +447011196907 (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.
- infoshellprizeaward@yahoo.co.uk (Yahoo, United Kingdom; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Shell Petroleum Development Company <larisa_dia1@att.net>
Reply-To: phillippe_koulo@yahoo.cn
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2011 10:19:19 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Special Shell prize award for you
Shell
Petroleum Development Company
England
======================================================
Shell Center, SE1
7NA - United
Kingdom Tel: +44
7011196907.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear
Sir/Madam,
We write to inform you that your
email ID was selected for a Special Shell prize award, you are to receive
a total sum of £1,000.000.00 (One Million British Pounds Sterling only) from
Shell Petroleum account.
For further details contact with
the following information's.
Full
name........................................
Address...........................................
Age.................................................
Sex.................................................
Nationality.......................................
Home Telephone
#..........................
Mobile Telephone
#.........................
Marital
Status..................................
Occupation......................................
Kind Regards,
Dr. Arthur
Lum.
(Prize Claim Administrator)
Tel: +44 7011196907.
Email: infoshellprizeaward@yahoo.co.uk
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WARNING!!!
Do not
tell people about your Prize Award until your money is successfully handed over
to you to avoid dis-qualification that may arise from double claim.
You
may also receive similar mesage from people portraying to be other Organizations
or Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) . This is solely to collect your personal
information from you and lay claim over your notification letter that was sent
to you, Kindly forward a copy to us and delete it from your mail box and give no
further correspondence to such person or body.
Shell
Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) shall not be held responsible for
any loss of fund arising from the above
mentioned.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2000-2010 Shell Promo
International
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Anti-fraud resources:
