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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. )
- "the consignment" (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)
- "consignment " (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)
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
Fraud email example:
From: "Aisha Khamis Gaddafi" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <asgaddfi01@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 13 May 2012 04:09:04 -0700
Subject: please i need your help urgently
Attention,
I am Aisha Khamis Gaddafi wife of late Khamis Gaddafi the commander of Libya's elite Special Forces and the son of Colonel Gaddafi the Libyan leader I am contacting you to assist me in removing the sum of thirty six million USA dollars been deposited with a security company in Spain.
The funds was deposited with a security company in my name and as a matter of fact me and my only son and the entire family of my father in-law were trapped in a bunker here in Tripoli until four days ago when I manage to sneak out with my son with the help of a security guard right now I have crossed the border and I am presently into hiding in Senegal without any other means of communication unless my laptop hoping to arrange for my traveling out possible to Europe to safe guard my life because I know that the regime of my father in-law will collapse in a matter of some weeks.
Please for your kind assistance I will offer you 30% of the total sum, all the legal documentation concerning the deposit are with me and I will only write power of attorney making you the new beneficiary of the deposit so that the security company can release the consignment to you Bear in mind that the funds was deposited with the security firm as household effect, therefore they do not know the real content so you are going to collect the consignment as house effect from the security company where as only you and me know the real content.
Once you successfully collect the consignment from the security company you will send me some money so that I can arrange for my traveling where we can meet ourselves for disbursement. May Allah grant you the heart to assist me and my only son in this our trial period, please never you abandon me with my son just because we are Arabs but I want to assure you that I am of a clean heart that was brought up under western education but married to a cruel family Get back with your details so that we can proceed without delay because lam here without help from no one.
Yours
Aisha Khamis Gaddafi
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