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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:
- "a security company " (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. )
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- townshift4@yahoo.co.jp (Yahoo, Japan; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Waan Zam" <waanzam2012@yahoo.com.ph>
Reply-To: townshift4@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Wed, 7 Dec 2011 01:03:36 -1200
Subject: You're welcome
You're welcome
I had to contact you through the internet though it has been highly abused by
scammers. I am sure you might have heard the political problm going on in my
contry Libya both on the televsion and internet which have resulted to serious
civil war and a lot people have been killed.
My late father was one of the top military officials who refused to surport
President Muammar Gaddafi command to kill innocent civilians, because of this
he ordered that my father should be assasinated.
When we got the news of my father's death, knowing that the soldiers might
come after us, myself, my mother and my two sisters quicky escaped out of
Libya to Republic of Benin. Befor this time my father told us that he
deposited a safe-box containing $11.5million with a security company in
Republic in Benin which was why we decided to come down to Benin. We came with
the deposit documents issued to my father from the company.
Now We have decided to come and live in your country for safety reasons
because of the problem in our country. we want to also invest the money in
your country through your advise and directives. Can you help ? if yes kindly
reply for more details.
Confidentcial Email ; townshift4@yahoo.co.jp
Have a nice day.
Yours humbly,
Waan Zam
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