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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:
- "here in london united kingdom" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "the consignment" (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)
- "consignment " (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)
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "PETER DARREN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <peterdarren@yahoo.cn>
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 2013 14:41:50 -0400
Subject: Please read and reply immediaely
Hi,
I know you will be surprised to read this email. based on what is happening on the internet world, one has to be very careful because a lot of scammers are out there to scam innocent citizens and this has made it very difficult for people to believe anything that comes through the internet but this is a different case.I would have like to contact you through a different means but i did not know any better means rather than the internet.
My name is peter Darren i am working with one of the security company here in London United Kingdom.There is this box containing gold coins and bullion collected over an unassuming lifetime deposited in our security company by Mr.Walter Samaszko Jr. since 2010 before he was found dead in his Carson City home in U.S.A on June 2012.
The consignment is one metal box cointaining about 2300 Gold coins,bullion and some cloths with weight of about 80kg and it was deposited as personal effect.
I am contacting you base that my Director want to divert this Box because the there is no next of kin.But there is an instruction left behind by the depositor Mr.Walter Samaszko Jr. that ( HELP ME TO AUCTION THIS GOLD COINS KEEP 30% AND GIVE THE REMAINING AMOUNT TO CHARITY ) with this your email address written on it without any name or address.
please reply immediately if this email is still in use, so that this box cointaining about 2300 Gold coins will be Shipped to you for you to Auction it and accomplished the dead man's wish because i believe that this man is your relative.
I will give you the full contact of our security company as soon as i got your reply,for you to file the release of the box to you because as the owner of this email address you are the only person that can claim this box legitimately.
I have already googled the man's name ( Mr.Walter Samaszko Jr.) before I contacted you so please you can google it too.
Remain blessed as i wait for urgent reply
Regards
Diplomat Peter Darren
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