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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million british pounds" (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.
- 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.
- ann.k.anderson1@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "ANNA K. ANDERSON " <annaanders1@live.co.uk>
Reply-To: ann.k.anderson1@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2013 04:39:44 +0800
Subject: DEAR FRIEND
ANNA K. ANDERSON
ALJAZEERA SENIOR REPORTER IN SYRIA
3 AHMEAD BAYEN STREET ALEPPO
ann.k.anderson1@gmail.com .
DEAR FRIEND ,
MY NAME IS ANNA K. ANDERSON . I AM AN AMERICAN CITIZEN AND ALSO AN
ALJAZEERA SENIOR REPORTER IN SYRIA . I HAVE MANAGED TO SEND YOU THIS
MESSAGE BECAUSE I WANT THE BOTH OF US TO BE FRIENDS AND ALSO I NEED
YOUR ASSISTANCE .
I NEED YOUR ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE . YESTERDAY AS I WAS COVERING SOME
GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS BURNT DOWN BY THE REBELS I FOUND SOME AMOUNT OF MONEY
IN THE HOUSE OF A POLITICIAN AND GOVERNMENT OFFICER . THE TOTAL MONEY I
FOUND SHOULD BE ABOUT 16.5 MILLION BRITISH POUNDS . I HAVE HIDDEN
THIS MONEY IN A BUILDING AND HAVE USED SOME WOOD TO COVER IT .
LISTEN TO ME DEAR FRIEND , I HAVE SEEN ALOT OF PEOPLE KILLED HERE
IN SYRIA, BOTH CHILDREN AND OLD PEOPLE EVERY MINUTE DIE HERE OUT OF
BULLET OF BOMBS AND AIR STRIKES . I JUST LOST MY DEAR FRIEND MARIE
COLVIN . I AM AFRAID NOW AND I NEED YOUR URGENT HELP RIGHT NOW .
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/02/201222217113608655.html
I WANT TO HAVE THIS MONEY SENT TO YOUR ADDRESS SO THAT YOU CAN KEEP
THE MONEY AND THEN WE CAN SHARE IT AFTER I HAVE LEFT SYRIA . BUT THE
PROBLEM IS THAT THE BANKS ARE NOT WORKING HERE SO THE MONEY CANNOT BE
TRANSFERED TO YOUR ACCOUNT . BUT I KNOW A PILOT WHO CAN HELP US . THE
PILOT IS ONE OF THE AMERICAN PILOTS WHO BRINGS FOOD, WATER AND OTHER
ITEMS TO THE HOMELESS IN SYRIA . I CAN ARRANGE FOR THE PILOT TO TAKE
THE PACKAGE OF MONEY AND DELIVER IT TO YOUR COUNTRY . I WANT TO KNOW
IF YOU CAN ACCEPT THIS MONEY .
PLEASE I NEED YOUR URGENT RESPONSE IMMEDIATELY . PLEASE CONTACT ME NOW .
THE SHOOTING IS MUCH HERE AND DEAD BODIES ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE AND
I AM NOT SURE OF LIVING TILL TOMMOROW . IF YOU CAN HELP ME
THEN I SHALL
CONTACT THE PILOT AND INFORM HIM RIGHT NOW.
I AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU NOW .
ann.k.anderson1@gmail.com
ANNA K. ANDERSON
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Anti-fraud resources:
