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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:
- "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. )
- "into your nominated bank account" (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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- gaddafiaisha8@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Aisha Gaddafi <agaddafi4@gmail.com>
Reply-To: gaddafiaisha8@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:30:39 +0100
Subject: From Aisha Gaddafi
Let this message not surprise you, I am contacting you due to the problem
of my family and country since the problem of my country and the killing of
my beloved father due to political crisis in Libya.
I am Aisha Gaddafi, I am currently residing in one of the AFRICAN country
unfortunately as a refugee. Some of our investments and bank accounts in
several countries have been freeze.
Ins ha Allah, I will make you a part of my family heritage, if you can help
me out at this difficult time of my life. All I need from you is for you to
open your mind to help me as you may be requiring to go to Cambodia or
Malaysia for this business meeting.
I have some big sums of money in a Security Company which await the
transfer and delivery to a partners account abroad. All you will do is have
good trust and
confidence in me and I will give you details and how the arrangement will
be to transfer all my money to your bank accounts. I don't want any body to
know about this or my money will be freeze. There is an international
conspiracy to seize our family accounts/investments around the world.
If you are interested to assist me in this regards kindly get back to me as
soon as possible for more details on how to proceed. More so I needed to
say that I will compensate you handsomely with about 30% of the funds once
the transfer is effected into your nominated bank account.
Please get back to me for more detail and make sure you keep this issue
strictly confidential for my own safety as my father and brother have gone
just like that.
Your urgent reply means a lot to me and make you reply through this email
address; gaddafiaisha8@gmail.com
Regards
Aisha Gaddafi
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