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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 beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: KRISTINALINA G <kristinalinag25@msn.com>
Reply-To: mikepeterson@voila.fr
Date: Fri, 18 May 2012 04:41:50 -0700
Subject: Contact Our Processing Office Branch Immediately.
Dear beneficiary,
This is to bring to your notice that your fund has been released for payment the fund was released after a brief meeting with the World Bank director Robert Zoellick who gave the order to release unpaid fund from all banks.
As such your payment has been issued on the amount of USD$1.3M (ONE MILLION THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S.A DOLLARS). and the approval form will be issued on your name immediately the verification process is completed.
Please note that this fund is as a form of grant to help your business grow so as to reduce the unemployment rate in your country.
You Are To Contact Our Official Processing Branch Office in Burkina Faso West Africa.
Contact oF Our Processing Office Branch. BOA BANK Burkina-Faso.(bankofafricaburkina@voila.fr) with your full details for the direct transfer of your fund Immediately.
Please beware of scam agents who might contact you to divert your payment and you are to stop all on going transaction with any agency or bank, and focus on the direct transfer of this amount. Request him to send you a proof of your fund.
FILL THIS INFORMATION BELOW.
FULL NAME……………………
MARITAL STATUS……………………
AGE……………………
PHONE NUMBER……………………
OCCUPATION……………………
ADDRESS……………………
BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER……………………
BANK BRANCH……………………
You are to receive your fund within 48 hours of your application received.
SINCERELY
KRISTINALINA. G
SECRETARY GENERAL
WORLD BANK PLC.
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Anti-fraud resources:
