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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:
- "trunk box" (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)
- "million united states 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 orphan scam.
- 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.
- ar4622641@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Abdulhamid Rasool." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ar4622641@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 00:21:04 +0200
Subject: Urgent Business Proposal / Assistance
Urgent Business Proposal / Assistance
Dear Sir/Ma,
My name is Abdulhamid Rasool the son of Lt.Col Hamid Rasool Fathi, special hired aid to the late President Sadam Hussein. During the crisis that led to his arrest he kept US$60,000.000 (Sixty Million United States Dollars) in my father's position for security and safe-keeping.
When my Father heard of his arrest / capture, he quickly concealed the US$60m in a Metallic Trunk Box and deposited it in a security and finance company in Lome-Togo and declared the contents as family precious effects to avoid any detection.
My father died last year as a result of injuries he sustained during the crisis, before his death he told me in confidence as his only son that he deposited the money in a Security and Finance Company in Lome-Togo and he handed all the related documents to me.
Now I am in asylum in Lome-Togo and I want the fund to be moved out from the security and finance company for an investment.
After going through your profile in the internet list of people's name I decided to contact you for your expert advice and assistance to move the money to your country for an investment in the areas of business you may introduce to me or joint ventures as I am not a business man and I have not been into business before.
It is imperative that you come to Lome-Togo for us to see ourselves one on one and carry out this transaction without delay.
I want to let you know that you are entitled to 20% of the total fund for your assistance.
You can click this site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm to read more of the story..
Please reply to my alternative email:ar4622641@gmail.com
Thanks and best regards,
Abdulhamid Rasool.
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