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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "huge deposit" (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)
- "million 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)
- "% will be for you" (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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- mr.vitusadams@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr.Vitus Adams" <mr.vitusadams@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: mr.vitusadams@yahoo.fr
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 02:20:34 +0100
Subject: Please respond fast if I can have faith and my trust in you!!!
My dear friend,
I know this will come to you as a surprise because you do not know me
I am Mr.Vitus Adams I work in the Eco-bank Cotonou Benin republic of
west Africa, auditing and accounting department I got your contact in
my search for a honest person through one of my colleagues here in the
Eco-bank who said that I can confidence in you I want you to help me
clear this safe box that is already in overseas which I shipped
through our Eco-bank accredited security company agent but the
contents of the box is ( $22.8 Million united state dollars ) all in
$100.00 bills, belonging to our Bank late customer who died earlier
this year in a tanker fire clash along with his wife and four children
they were involved in Benin petrol tanker explosion incident as people
were siphoning petrol the explosion result lost of life killing at
least 54 people and many injured including my client and his entire
family as they where driving home for weekend stopping on visiting
their site where people were siphoning petrol the tanker caught fire
and explode our Bank client and his entire family was among the last
16 people that died since then I have made several inquiries to your
embassy to locate any of his extended relatives this has also proved
unsuccessful.
After these several unsuccessful attempts I decided to locate any
member of his family and I have contacted you to assist in
repatriating the money and property left behind by the deceased before
they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the security company
in Amsterdam Netherlands these huge deposits were lodged particularly
with an affiliate security company in Amsterdam Netherlands where the
deceased deposited the ( $22.8 Million united state dollars ) as
African Treasury so the company did not know the content of the Safe
Box because our Bank late client deposited the box as African Treasury
so right now the security company in Amsterdam Netherlands has issued
a notice to provide the next of kin or have the Safe Box confiscated
and since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for
Months now I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of
the deceased since you have the same last name so that the security
company in Amsterdam Netherlands will proceeds the delivery of the
Safe Box that contains the ( $22.8 Million united state dollars ) to
your address then after you received the box you and me will share the
money 60% for me and my colleague at the office while the remaining
and 40% will be for you and your family,All I want you to do for me
now is to forward to me this below Information's to me for the
delivery if this arrangement is okay by you please reconfirm your
direct delivery information for the delivery of the safe box such as,
Your full name?
Your home address?
Your country?
Your direct telephone number?
Please email me at ( mr.vitusadams@yahoo.fr ) for security reasons
other moralities will be discussed as soon as you get back to me
including sending you our secret code of conduct so that our
communication will be strictly confidential through e-mail or phone
for security reasons.
Yours faithfully,
Mr.Vitus Adams.
E-mail; ( mr.vitusadams@yahoo.fr )
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