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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:
- "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "a diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "emmgdani@live.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
Fraud email example:
From: "EMMANUEL GIORDANI" <sjolson@sjolson.com>
Reply-To: emmgdani@live.com
Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 18:59:59 +0000
Subject: please respond
Hello,
I am Emmanuel Giordani from Dr. Congo. A refugee in Ghana. I am writing to seek your assistance in helping me claim my funds worth of $16.5 million with a diplomat frank Donald in your country.
He was unable to deliver the funds in a safe sealed brief case to my benefactor due to my beneficiary illness and his mental state of mind is not improving for him to handle the funds and take care of me.
The diplomat is about living for another delivering and this will attract additional cost and inconvenience to me because I do not want the funds to come back to Africa. The diplomat is not aware of the content of the box.
My barrister should have contacted you but he is not in country so he has given me a reliable barrister who will help me out immediately I find a beneficiary in your country, I want you to please be my beneficiary so that I can forward your personal information to the diplomat so as to enable him deliver the Brief case to you safely after i have made you the legal benefactor from the high court.
Immediate you receive the funds from the diplomat you shall be taking some funds from the Brief case to settle the diplomat this is base on the agreement between the diplomat company here in Ghana.
I will want you to please send me your personal information i.e Name, telephone number, driver’s license, delivering address.
I am looking forward to receive this information from you so that I can proceed to the high court and get you as the benefactor to the funds already you country.
Regards,
Emmanuel Giordani
emmgdani@live.com
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