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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:
- "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)
- "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "danielsjerry@e-mail.ua" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr.Jerry Daniels" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <danielsjerry@e-mail.ua>
Date: Thu, 5 Dec 2013 16:14:33 -0000
Subject: From Daniels.
Hello,
I am Mr.Jerry Daniels,an attorney at law I am contacting you in respect to my late client fund valued at (U.S Twenty seven million dollars).My client died with his entire family in a plane crash on the Gulf Air Flight Crash in Persian Gulf Near Bahrain Aired August 23, 2000 - 2:50 p.m. ET as reported,you may Visit the below website for more details: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0008/23/bn.08.html
The Management of his bank adopted a resolution mandating me to provide any of his surviving relative for the claim of his fund or forfeit it to the Federal treasury as unclaimed.All my effort to establish contact with his relatives over the past 11 years have not been successful and now i risk loosing the fund to the Government.This is why i am seeking your consent to present you as the "BENEFICIARY" of this fund.The fund will be shared in the ratio 60/40 respectively immediately the bank transfers the fund to your account.I want you to rest assured that this is not a criminal act as i will provide all necessary document to back our application.
Kindly,send the below details to my private email: danielsjerry@e-mail.ua
Your Full Name:
Your Contact Address:
Your Cell Phone Number:
Your Age/Gender:
You can reach me on my cell phone +447-7000-67486 for further details.
Please treat this mail with utmost confidentiality as i look forward to your reply.
Sincerely:
Mr.Jerry Daniels
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