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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:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a orphan scam.
Fraud email example:
From: sarah burns <sarah.burns4@outlook.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2013 09:23:08 +0000
Subject: Good day to you
Dear Sir,
Good day to you
I am Miss Sarah Burns from Conakry of Guinea Republic in west Africa and I am the only child of late parents Mr & Mrs Micheal Burns .
My mother died when I was a kid and my father was Killed by enemies during the post electoral crises 2011 in Ivory Coast .When my father was alive he was a well known supplier of Agric equipments and also a wealthy cocoa merchant .
I am contacting you for assistance towards investing of my inheritance sum in your country. I want to relocate to your country to protect myself from my wicked uncle who is after my life because of my inheritance from my late parents.
I wish you can grant me favor to claim my inherited sum valued at US$8.5 million (Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand United State dollars) which my late father packed in a save box and secretly deposited in a Security company in Abidjan. I want your assistance to claim the save box and invest the money in your company.
My late father gave me information of the deposit and i have with me relevant documents which he signed with the Security company during the deposit.
I went to the Security company and they made me to understand that my late father deposited the box in their custody for onward delivery to his foreign business partner,therefore, unless the save box is delivery to a foreigner I am not permitted to touch or withdraw it and The only option given to me by the security company director is to appoint a foreign partner for immediate release of the save box to us.
This is why I am seeking for your urgent assistance now to represent my guardian and my late father foreign business partner to enable the security company release the save box to you.
I promise you 25% of the total money for all the assistance you will render to me.
Please reply me with your full name/ your address /your direct telephone number for our easy communication.
Best Regards
Miss Sarah Burns
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