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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.
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Dr edward Johnson <aase8@AdwardJohnson.onmicrosoft.com>
Reply-To: <edward.enterprises@btopenworld.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2013 21:09:59 +0530
Subject: BUSINESS PROPOSAL
Hello sir/ Madam.
Compliments,
I got your contact from a business directory. I decided to contact you for a business with my company. The company I work with is into manufacturing of pharmaceutical materials. There is a raw material which the company used to send me to India to buy.
Right now I have had a serious accident that has kept me in hospital for the past two months. The company can not send me to India again; they will send a more junior staff. The director has asked for the contact of the supplier in India. I need a person I will present to the company as the supplier in India. You will now buy the director has asked for the contact of the supplier in India. I need a person I will present to the company as the supplier in India. You will now buy the product from the local dealer and supply to my company.
The profit would be shared between you and I. Why I don't want the company to have direct contact of the local dealer is that, I don't want the company to know the actual price I was buying the product.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED PLEASE DO GET BACK TO ME FOR MORE DETAILS.
Humbly awaiting your positive answer to my request.
Regard
Dr edward
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Anti-fraud resources: