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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a next of kin 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.
- dr.nelson_smith@rocketmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "MR NELSON SMITH." <konmag.biuro@neostrada.pl>
Reply-To: DR.NELSON_SMITH@ROCKETMAIL.COM
Date: Wed, 18 May 2011 00:53:01 -0700
Subject: ATTENTION
FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION.
COULD YOU PLEASE CONSIDER TO HELP ME TO RELOCATE THIS SUM OF TEN
MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS (US$10.5M) TO YOUR
COUNTRY FOR ESTABLISHING AN INDUSTRY IN YOUR COUNTRY.
THIS FUND WAS DEPOSITED IN OUR BANK BY MR PAUL LOUIS HALLEY FROM FRANCE WHO DIED IN A PLANE CRASH IN 2003 TBM 700 AIRCRAFT ON 6 DECEMBER WITH HIS WIFE AND THE WHOLECREW ON BOARD.WE HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT HIS FAMILY TO COME FORWARD FOR CLAIMS
BUT COULD NOT SUCCEED.
WE DISCOVERED THAT THE LATE FRANCE CITIZEN DIED ALONG SIDE WITH HIS WIFE HUSBAND AND CHILDREN WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HER NEXT OFKIN.
CLICKHERE(http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/4537663.stm )
I WILL GIVE YOU ALL VITAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE FRANCE CITIZEN AND THE $10.5M IN OUR CUSTODY SO THAT YOU WILL CONTACT MY BANK FOR THEM TO RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DESEASED PERSON.
YOU WILL HAVE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH THE BANK WHILE I WILL GUIDE YOU ON THE STEPS TO FOLLOW TILL THE TRANSFER OF THIS FUND REACHES TO YOU AND YOUR ACCOUNT.
AS ONE OF THE BANK DIRECTORS,I WILL PLAY A ROLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FUND IS RELEASED TO YOU.AS SOON AS I RECIEVE YOUR REPLY,I WILL GIVE YOU AN INSTRUCTION ON WHAT YOU SHOULD DO.
REPLY AND LET ME KNOW YOUR FULL NAME,AGE,ADDRESS,OCCUPATION,AND YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBERS .WE SHALL DISCUSS OUR INTEREST ON THE LOT AS WE PROCEED.
KINDLY REPLY ME ON MY EMAIL ADDRESS:DR.NELSON_SMITH@ROCKETMAIL.COM
I AWAIT YOUR URGENT REPLY
MR NELSON SMITH.
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Anti-fraud resources:
