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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.
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- sweeny_avor@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Sweeny Avor <sweeny4avor@att.net>
Reply-To: sweeny_avor@hotmail.com
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:52:38 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Hello my dear one,
Hello my dear one,
How are you my new friend to be ? It's good to have a great friend like you and I'm Miss Sweeny, i read your profile at (icanhasinter.net) which really interest me in having communication with you. I want to become your good friend as much serious and real one but no joke or have fun to you but i really mean to be your great friend for real as no joke or no game as people use to do here and I'm looking for a soul mate friend who will be a serious and caring as much as loving person as I'm and i hope you are the luck one that God has bless me of that and if yes then we have to thank God and we our self to become as serious as we all looking for and if you'll then get in touch with me at (sweeny_avor@hotmail.com) so i can send you my photos and details for you to know me very well.
awaiting for your reply direct to my mail
Thanks
Sweeny
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Anti-fraud resources:
