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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:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "hundred thousand us 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 next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Marttu. Richard" <marttua.richard2010@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2010 03:42:31 -0400
Subject: ATTENTION PLEASE:
From Mr. Richard Marttua
Auditing and Account manager
Attention:
I am a staff on one of the Bank's here In Jakarta, and I am writing
following an opportunity in my office that will be of benefit to both of
us. In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of $5.5million,(Five
Million Five Hundred Thousand Us Dollars)in an account that belongs to one
of our foreign customers Late Mr. Robert Greg an American who
unfortunately lost his life in the Tsunami disaster in Thailand 2004.
Including his wife and two of his daughters. Since we got information
about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin or relatives to
come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless somebody
applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in
our banking laws and guild lines.
Unfortunately I leant that his supposed next of kin being his two
daughters died along with him in the Tsunami disaster leaving nobody with
the knowledge of this fund behind for the claim.
It is therefore upon this discovery that I now decided to make the deal
with you and transfer this money to you as the partner or beneficiary of
the funds for safety keeping and subsequent disbursement since nobody is
coming for it and we don't want this money to go back into Bank treasury
as unclaimed bill.
The banking law and guidelines here stipulates that such money remained
after Six years the money will be transferred into banking treasury as
unclaimed funds. We agreed that 45% of this money will be for you as
foreign partner, while 10% of the Fund to any Charity organizations of
your choice in the same trend, while 45% will be for me.
Please note that all necessary arrangement for the smooth release of these
funds to you has been finalized. I will discuss more in details when I do
receive your response.
Best regards,
Mr. Richard Marttua
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