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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "huge sum of money" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: mohammed abdu <mohaa-abdu67@msn.com>
Reply-To: mohammed147abdu@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 8 May 2012 03:31:39 +0000
Subject: URGENT RESPOND.
TREAT AS URGENT PLEASE!!!!!!!
FROM THE DESK OF MR. MOHAMMED ABDU.
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT.
BANK OF AFRICA (BOA)
OUAGADOUGOU - BURKINA FASO.
CALL ME +226 74504482.
Dear Friend,
I am contacting you in regards to a business transfer of a huge sum of money from a deceased account. I decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction.
I discovered an abandoned sum of $15.5m dollars (Fiveteen Million,Five hundred thousand USD) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family. Since his death, none of his relations has come forward to lay claims to this money as the heir. The bank cannot release the fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines. Upon this discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased as all documentations will be carefully worked out by me for the fund $15.5m dollars (Fiveteen Million, Five hundred thousand USD) to be released in your favour as the beneficiary's next of kin.
following;
Your name: ............................
Your country: .........................
Your phone Number: ......................
Your age: ...............................
Your occupation: ......................
Photograph of your International Passport or driver's license............
Thank for your anticipated co-operation
I shall be compensating you with 40% on final conclusion of this project, while 50% will be for me and 10% will be for any expenses that may come up. Your share stays with you while my own share shall be for investment purposes in your country.
Yours faithfully
Mr Mohammed Abdu.
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