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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- barrtmensah71@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Tony Mensah <tmensah515@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 09:41:43 +0000
Subject: From Barr Tony Mensah.
Dear Friend,
This is important information which requires your attention. I am Barrister
Tony Mensah. a lawyer by profession based in Lome-Togo. I need your urgent
assistance for the claiming of the sum of (US$8.5million) belonging to late
client which he deposited in bank here Lome-Togo. He was my client and a
major contract supplier to big oil firms here in Togo that died with his
entire family.
And no one have come for the claim. Now the bank asked me to bring any of
his relative. So i decided to contact you to know if you are related to
him. But if you are not. I will be glad to present you to the bank as his
next of kin so that the proceed of his inheritance will be done in your
name.
For more detail contact me directly through my email below.
barrtmensah71@hotmail.com
Regard.
Waiting for your urgent reply.
Barrister Tony Mensah Esq.
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Anti-fraud resources:
