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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:
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- ",500,000" (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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "economic financial crime commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
Fraud email example:
From: "Dennis Lennon" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <michael.brandy8089@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2011 06:02:58 +0100
Subject: LONG OVERDUE OUTSTANDING PAYMENT
Attention:Beneficiary
Beneficiary: Call Mr Dennis Lennon, If You Are Still Alive : +234-8024954272
This is to inform you of your long overdue Payment outstanding with our Banking records.
This is to inform you that your name came first from our Central Computer among the list of
unpaid Inheritance claims individuals and have to update your information through this
email contact for immediate confirmation.
Your name appeared among the beneficiaries who will receive a part-payment of
US$2,500,000 million (Two Million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars) and
it has been approved already for payment months ago.
However, we received an email from one Mr. Brent Walker, who told us That you are dead
and he is your next of kin and that you died in a car Accident four months back.
To our findings we discover that this Brent Walker is a liar and imposer that is why we
contact you before any release of funds can be paid to him.
He has also submitted his Account information to the Accounting office department of our
Bank for Immediate transfer of the funds to him as your inheritor.
Regarding our investigation from the Bank & the Nigerian Police Force (N.P.F)
in conjunction with the Economic Financial Crime Commission (E.F.C.C) we are
now verifying by contacting your email address as we have in our Bank
records before we can Make the transfer into his account and for us to conclude
with confirmation if you are dead or not.
Once again, I apologize to you on behalf of International Monetary fund Agency
towards this contact and proper confirmation required urgently from you if alive.
Make sure you reply back
Mr Dennis Lennon
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Anti-fraud resources: