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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:
- "million dollars" (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)
- "god fearing " (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.
- 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.
- catherine_b51@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Catherine Brown" <mrs.brown@outlook.fr>
Reply-To: "Mrs. Catherine Brown" <catherine_b51@yahoo.fr>
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2013 11:06:00 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Beloved
Beloved; I am Mrs.Catherine Brown I'm a 53-year-old woman from Ivory Coast; I married for nearly 26 years and remain childless my spirit led me to write you this email. I write you with heavy tears in my eyes and great sorrow in my heart because my Doctor informed me that I will die in 4 weeks time due to my Complicated health issues (CANCER). Based on this, I want to will my money ($1.5 Million Dollars) One Million five Hundred Thousand Dollars to a faithful and God fearing person who will use it as I will instruct hence I am contacting you. I want you to use the funds to raise a business in any area you have experience and expertise and to disburse 50% of the annual net profit on charity causes, 40% for expansion (or diversification) while 10% will be kept by you for your own personal needs.The disbursements should be made to charities such as orphanages, motherless babies homes and to humanitarian causes. I hereby attached personal photo from
hospital. I will wait to hear from you if you can handle this task with honesty.Reply me only on this email; (catherine_b51@yahoo.fr) Do not forget to think of me in your prayers so that my soul can reach the celestial kingdom. Warm wishes from,Mrs.Catherine Brown.
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