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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:
- "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs.Anita Konde" <mrs.victoriakonde1955@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <mrs.anitakonde@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:38:48 -0700
Subject: How are you doing?
Hello Dear One,
I sincerely apologize for using this medium to reach you since we have not met each other in the past. I am making this contact with you because of the situation I found myself believing that you will not turn me down by betraying the trust I am putting on you.
My name is Anita Fornah Konde, The wife of the Former Paramount Chief and overlord of Kenema Kingdom in Eastern region of Sierra-Leone who was brutally assassinated by the rebels alongside three of my children following a dispute over the control of Gold and Diamond mining sites in my Region. This situation forced me to relocate out of Sierra-Leone to Ghana to seek refuge in the refugee camp since my security is at risk in my country.
Few months before the death of my husband, he disclosed to me that he made deposit of 30 kilograms of Gold Bars and Ten Million; Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars with my name in a Depository Vault Company in Ghana. This deposited gold bars and fund by my husband was part of royalty paid to him by the mining companies that are operating in my Region at that time which was the main cause of this dispute that lead to his death and three of my children on a single day. My objective now was to look for reliable individual or company whom I can entrust these treasure in his or her care, thus I am making this contact with you if you can be reliable enough and honest with me to market this gold bars and also invest this fund in a profitable venture in your country that will generate good income to help me, the orphan and less privileged since I have decided to migrate to a conducive environment where I can put my past behind easily.
Please I want to know if you can be of assistance to me in this regard so that we can put our mind together for our mutual benefit and see how we can work things out with the Depository Vault Company to allow the gold bars and the fund be transferred/delivered to you immediately since I have no knowledge about gold trade. Please there is room for negotiation on your commission and also your advice will be appreciated if this transaction will be of interest to you.
Please provide me with your direct telephone number for easy communication.
Yours Sincerely,
Anita Fornah Konde
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