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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "affidavit of claim" (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. )
- "western union" (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. )
- "money gram" (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. )
- "we advice you" (this email uses bad English)
- "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
Fraud email example:
From: "From Mrs. Ini Bassey" <westyrm@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: codecompensationoffice@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2011 09:22:00 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Take Over
IMF WORLD REGULATORY OFFICE
INTERNATIONAL FUNDS REGULATORY AUTHORITY
INTER-CONTINENTAL DEBT RECONCILIATION DEPT.
FROM THE DESK OF: HONORABLE MRS. INI BASSEY. DIRECTOR; IMF World Regulatory Office.
ATTENTION:PROVISION OF AFFIDAVIT OF CLAIM CERTIFICATE FOR LEGAL COVER/ PROTECTION OF US$15.5M IN FAVOR OF YOU
A
NEW BOARD OF DIRECTOR'S HAVE JUST BEEN HANDED THE POWER TO OVERSEE AND
TAKE OVER THIS OFFICE NOW IN FOLLOW UP TO THIS A LENGTHY MEETING WAS
JUST HELD AND CONCLUDED BY THE NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON YOUR NOBLE KIND
BEHALF AND IT WAS RECOMMENDED, DECIDED IN YOUR
OWN FAVOR AND BEST INTEREST BY THE MINISTER OF FINANCE TO REDUCE ALL
REQUIRED PAYMENT FEE FOR THE
CLEARANCE AND AFFIDAVIT OF CLAIM CERTIFICATE
FOR YOUR OVER DUE TRANSFER
WORTH $15.5 MILLION TO ONLY THE SUM OF $49 SO THAT YOU CAN MEET UP WITH
THE PAYMENT IN OTHER TO HAVE YOUR TRANSFER EFFECTED AND RELEASED INTO
ANY BANK ACCOUNT OF YOUR CHOICE WHERE EVER IN THE WORLD THAT YOU
SO CHOOSE OR DESIRE.
BE
WARNED IN YOUR OWN BEST INTEREST TO STOP IMMEDIATELY ALL KIND OF
COMMUNICATIONS WITH ANY OTHER OFFICE, GROUP, PERSON OR INDIVIDUAL OTHER
THAN THIS OFFICE THE NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS WE ARE THE ONLY OFFICE
EMPOWERED TO SEE AND ENSURE YOU GET PAID YOUR DUE OWED FUND,
COMMUNICATING WITH ANY OTHER OFFICE OTHER THAN THIS OFFICE WILL BE AT
YOUR OWN RISK AND AT YOUR OWN DETRIMENT OF LOOSE. (BE WARNED)
A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE.
PLEASE
WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ONLY 24 HOURS TO DO THIS PAYMENT SO
WE CAN CLEAR,RELEASE AND EFFECT YOUR FUND WORTH $15.5M US IN OUR CARE TO
ANY BANK ACCOUNT OF YOUR CHOICE SO WE ADVICE YOU TO PAY THE $49 THROUGH
THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER OR MONEY GRAM MONEY TRANSFER TO THE BELOW INFORMATION AND SEND THE PAYMENT DETAILS TO ME
RECEIVERS NAME: EKE FAVOUR
RECEIVERS ADDRESS: CITY : LAGOS
COUNTRY: NIGERIA
SENDERS NAME:
SENDERS ADDRESS:
AMOUNT: $49
M.T.C.N NUMBER:
TEXT QUESTION: NEW
TEXT ANSWER: ERA
WE
WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE ARE INDEED VERY VERY SORRY FOR ANY
INCONVENIENCES ANY DELAY THIS MUST HAVE CAUSED YOU IN HAVING YOUR FUND
PAID OUT TO YOU LONG BEFORE NOW.
YOU WILL NEVER EVER REGRET PAYING THE FEE THIS IS A PROMISE TO YOU AFTER ALL YOUR PAINS IN THE PAST AS WE ARE HERE TO SERVE YOU AS OUR WORD IS OUR BOND TO YOU.
CONFIRM
THE RECEIPT OF THIS E-MAIL BY YOU IMMEDIATELY AND BE REST ASSURED THAT
YOU WILL BE SMILING TO YOUR BANK ONCE YOU COMPLY WITH THE ABOVE
DIRECTIVES NOW.
YOUR
URGENT RESPONSE TO THIS E-MAIL NOW WILL GO A LONG WAY IN HELPING US
ENSURE YOUR PAYMENT IS RELEASED TO YOU WITHIN 24HOURS OF YOU ACTING AS
INSTRUCTED YOU NOW.
RESPOND BACK IMMEDIATELY.
MRS. INI BASSEY.
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