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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:
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Elizabeth Foundation <elizabeth_kubala@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: Elizabeth Foundation <elizabethkubala@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2011 06:49:07 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: Hello my Dearest
Hello my Dearest,
I pray this email meets you in good health condtion. My name is Mrs. Elizabeth Bizama Kubala 52 years old widow from Abidjan. I am the first wife of late Hamid Bizama of Libya. though I never had a any child for him. since his death I decided not to re-marry because I loved my husband so much. I want to use this opportunity to let pass a very secret information to you and to seek your help. When my late husband was alive he deposited $2.9 Million with the Trans Credit Union of Cote d'Ivoire. initially the fund was meant to finance development and production of Ore from Liberia, which was supposed to be shipped to Kuwa then, where it was to be used for refinement of oil under the Kuwa desert.
Unfortunately Bizama died during the recently concluded war in Tripoli without the project been accomplished and the funds still remains with the bank there till date as i write you on the sick bed here in the hospital where I have been through several surgery operations as a result of illness. The doctor have confirmed that I have few months to live and that is why I have contacted you since I am old now and childless so that I can use the funds to help the orphans and less privileged children as that is what pleases my heart to use it for.
I need a trust worthy person that can handle the assignment for me without deviating from the purpose which am donating the money for. Can you do that? I will like you to indicate your interest as soon as you receive this email so that I can instruct the bank to release the deposit to you as my nest of kin while I am still alive as I cannot predict what may happen tomorrow.
I wait your soonest.
Mrs. Elizabeth Bizama Kubala
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Anti-fraud resources:
