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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million 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)
- "hundred thousand 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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Malik Abdul <malikabdul25@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2011 21:15:17 +0530 (IST)
Subject: I need your urgent assistance in this business
Business partnership
From the Desk of Mr Malik Abdul
Manager Bill and Exchange Dept
BANK OF AFRICA (BOA)
Ouagadougou Burkina Faso.
West Africa
Dear friend,
I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise. I am the bill and Exchange manager in BANK OF AFRICA Burkina Faso west Africa. I Hope that you will not expose or betray this trust and confidence that i am about to Repose on you for the mutual benefit of our both families.
I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of $10.5 million dollars (Ten million, five hundred thousand United States dollars), to your bank account in your country. The money has been dormant for years in our Bank here without any body coming for it.
I want to release the money to you as the nearest person to our deceased customer(the owner Of the account) who died along with his supposed next of kin. I don't want the money to go into our Bank treasury as an abandoned fund.
So this is the reason why i contacted you, so that the bank can release the money to you as the nearest person to the deceased customer.
Please i will like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not interested.
Upon receipt of your reply, I will send you full details on how the Business will be executed and also note that you will have 40% of the Above mentioned sum for helping me.
I need your urgent reply for more details.
Mr Malik Abdul.
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