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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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:
- "huge deposit" (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)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- fredrickwilliams77@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. John Bright" <alphonsus_mike@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: brightpaintings@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 04:23:02 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Urgent mail.
Greetings!
I am Mr. John Bright, the personal accounting officer to a late client. Who used to do business with an oil company, Shell British petroleum (B.P). He's one of our biggest and respected customers.
I have contacted you to participate in repatriating the sum of $8.575.50musd (Eight million five hundred and seventy five million fifty cent) only, left behind by my late client before they get confiscated. It has been already declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge deposit were lodged.
Meanwhile, I want us to move very fast before the bank will make good their threat regarding out right confiscation.
The mode of sharing has been decided as stated below for your acceptance or otherwise before the transaction will commence:
- 30% will be given to you for your assistance
- 65% will be for my colleagues and I while the remaining 5% will be for expenses.
Your honest co-operation is highly needed in this transaction in order to succeed. I guarantee that this transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect us from any breach of the law as it is 100% risk free.
This is a pathetic story but we can't our hands and allow others to capitalize and share the fund which I am directly accountable to. We can help the needy with part of it when we conclude the transaction.
All other information will be given to you as soon as I hear from you.
NOTE: IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED OR NOT CAPABLE OF HANDLING THIS
TRANSACTION WITH UTMOST SECRECY/HONESTY, PLEASE DELETE THIS MESSAGE IMMEDIATELY FOR SECURITY REASONS.
You can also reply to:fredrickwilliams77@yahoo.co.uk
Looking forward to your positive response.
Best regards,
John Bright.
NOTE : If You Receive This Message In Your Junk Or Spam Its Due to Your Internet Provider.
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