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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.
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs.Kate Williams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrskatewillams@inMail24.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:12:37 -0700
Subject: MAY GOD BLESS YOU
I am Mrs.Kate Williams from England, I am deaf and has cancer of the breast. I lost my husband 12yrs ago without a child of mine in an auto accident .
Right now,have sold all my properties left for me by my husband because the doctors say i have less than some months to live.
I have deposited the funds of $7.5million USD which i earn from my properties I sold and have deposited into a Bank. I want you to help me use the funds to help the charity,deaf and the motherless babies home before i die.
If you are a good and honest person which i can trust, then i shall give you the contact of the Bank and also the Deposit Certificate so as to claim my funds before my death, because i want someone to serve as my NEXT OF KIN to the Will and treasure before i die.
Expecting your urgent response and may God bless you as you carry out my wish.
Yours dying sister.
Mrs.Kate Williams
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Anti-fraud resources:
