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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:
- "dearest one," (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "demurrages " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "huge amount of money" (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)
- "the consignment" (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)
- "consignment " (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)
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "contact the diplomat" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Frank Diallo" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <frank.diallo@blumail.org>
Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2011 21:42:20 -0500
Subject: Consignment
Hello Dearest One,
Hope this get to you in good health!My name is Frank Diallo and my mother is Rose Diallo, we are from Sierra-Leone but presently on a refugee camp in Ghana.We need you to help us receive our consignment boxes that was supposed to be delivered to Mr. Gerald Murphy in the U.S who has really been helpful to us.He has incurred all the demurrages expenses from the security company, Custom check report and also assisted us in getting the DRUG/ANTI TERRORIST CERTIFICATE which have cost him so much but unfortunately, an information got to us through the U.N Diplomatic a week before the delivery, that when he called Mr.Gerald’s phone to get the description to his house for the delivery, but it was the house help that answered the call and passed a sad news across that Mr. Gerald Murphy was involved in a fatal car accident which lead to his death may his soul rest in peace....So the Diplomat has to deposit the consignment boxes in the New York.
I and my Mother need you to help us get in contact with the Diplomat so that he can deliver the boxes to you as our foreign partner we have chosen and please you don’t need to disclose the content of the boxes to him until you hear from us because it contain a huge amount of money worth 28 million U.S Dollars but he only knew that its contains family valuables.Though I will explain better to you later.Please can you Contact the Diplomat on time and get back to me by email or my phone number.
We need the below details from you for future purposes.
Full Name;
Home Address(No P.O Box);
Phone Number;
Occupation;
I await your urgent response.
Thank you and God bless you.
Frank Diallo
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