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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.
- This email message is a orphan 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.
- mrgailufall1414@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr Gailu Fall" <mrgailufall1@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: <mrgailufall1414@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 02:38:50 -0400
Subject: good day
Hi
I got your contact from the internet and my instinct motivated me to write
you. I hope you will be kind enough to digest my mail and assist me in
this regards.
I am an undergraduate medical student of Fourahbay College, Sierra Leone.
My Late father, Chief Mayor Musa Bangura was a traditional ruler in my
home town. He was also a prominent Gold and Diamond dealer in sierra leone
before he was murdered in cold blood three years ago alongside my beloved
mother by the rebels of the RUF that has been fighting the legitimate
democratically elected government in my country since 1992. The war is
still ravaging my country up till now. After the untimely death of my
parents, I discovered some important documents through my father's
personal lawyer indicating that my late father had deposited the some Gold
and Diamond in a Security and Trust company in Dakar - Senegal for safe
keeping because of the rebel war going on in
my country Sierra Leone.
With the assistance of my father's personal lawyer, I have made successful
claims of the gold and the diamond at the Trust company here in Senegal by
virtue of the legal rights as the only child and next of kin of my
parents. Now I have decided to search for a reliable Gold and Diamond
dealer whom I can trust and send this gold and diamond out of Senegal.
This is where you came in, because I learnt that your country had good
market for gold and diamond. All the documents for evidence and proof of
this are here in my position but the gold and diamond in question is in a
Security Company.
I am absolutely willing to give you 50% of any amount of money realized
from the sales of these products if you will agree to help me. Also I will
be very much happy if you can assist me to arrange for me to come to your
country where I intend to settle down and complete my education as a
qualified Medical Doctor.
Bear in mind that the task of investing any money realized from the sell
of this product in your country shall be solely done by you and such
investment shall be solely controlled and managed by
you until I finish my education. I hope you will handle this matter with
altmost confidentiality and
transparency. Should you trust that you are capable of assisting me to
actualise my goal, do not hesitate to confirm by email responce. My email
address is mrgailufall1414@yahoo.com
I shall be very glad indeed to hear from you as soon as possible
Yours sincerely.
Mr Gailu Fall
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