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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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.
- This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
- This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- mrs_karen1952@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: mrs karen miller <mrskaren_miller2011@yahoo.com.ph>
Reply-To: mrs_karen1952@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:14:03 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: Hello Dear
Hello Dear
My warm greetings to you. Do take this email as real and contribution to humanity development. This is not an easy task due to my health condition and that is the main reason why I contacted you. Not actually that you are the best with my intellectual grading but I was driven to contact you from the innermost being. And that was my main reason for getting to you. Please do not be offended and I will understand completely if you cannot be of assistance to me.My name is Mrs.Karen Miller Bernardus;
I am a dying woman who has decided to donate what I have to you for humanity services. I am 52 years old (Netherland Citizen base in REPUBLIC OF BENIN) and I was diagnosed for cancer for about 2 years ago immediately after the death of my husband who has left me everything he worked for and because the doctors told me I will not live longer than some weeks because of my health. I decided to WILL/donate the sum of $5,500 000 (five million, five hundred thousand dollars) to you for the good work of humanity and also to help the motherless and less privilege and also for the assistance of the widows.
I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly and please use the funds well and always extend the good work to others.I will be waiting your urgent respond as soon as you receive this mail.
Mrs Karen Miller
mrs_karen1952@yahoo.com
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Anti-fraud resources: