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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:
- "keep your winnings confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- 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!
Fraud email example:
From: "Intercontinental Bv." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <verify-result@intercontinentail-bv.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 06:47:54 -0700
Subject: Re: YOU WERE SELECTED.
Intercontinental Bv
8 Old Street
London EC1V 9FR
United Kingdom.
T: 0044 709 298 3098
F: 0044 709 298 3097
E: verify-result@intercontinentail-bv.co.uk
24th September, 2010.
Dear Lucky Winner,
We are delighted to bring to your notice the Intercontinental Bv Lottery award result in which you are selected as one of the lucky winners from your region. Your details which was attached to the ticket number XB001837/03 won you the total lump sum of Five Hundred & Fifty Thousand Pounds Sterling only (GB? 550,000.00). Your details was selected from business/ consumer data base submitted by your continent.
This lottery is being promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate of Multinational companies as part of their social responsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have operational base.
HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE
1. Carefully fill the claim form below in block letters.
2. Email it back to us via verify-result@intercontinentail-bv.co.uk
3. Once we receive your filled claim form, we will contact you and your prize money will be remitted to you after
the verification.
NOTE: You are warn to keep your winnings confidential till your prize money is been remitted to you.
Congratulations.
Yours Faithfully,
Mr. Nelson Brown
Program Co-ordinator.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLAIM FORM.
TICKET NUMBER: XB001837/03
DRAW DATE: 21/09/2010
LAST NAME.....................................................OTHER NAME(S)............................................................................
CONTACT ADDRESS..............................................................................................................................................
COUNTRY................................................................................................................................................................
EMAIL:..................................................................TEL/MOBILE................................................................................
OCCUPATION..........................................................................
Copyright © 2010 Intercontinental Bv LLP
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Anti-fraud resources:
