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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:
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- david.bentley94@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: David Bentley <eka@sinergipalm.com>
Reply-To: David Bentley <davebentley94@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2014 18:34:03 +0800 (CIT)
Subject: Treat this as strictly a very "CONFIDENTIAL" matter.
I am sorry if this mail offends your personality, thus, a pre-meditated contact, trust and honour which I bestow on your personality. Please read through this mail I urge you. I need your help to close a late client's account in my bank here in London UK worth £7.5 Million GBP (Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand Great
Britain Pounds) only.
I am therefore writing you to request that you provide me information/comments on any or all of the four issues as regards nominating you to inherit the fund left behind by this client. You are hence being contacted to be legally nominated as next of kin (inheritor) to this client after all inquiries and secret investigation conducted by me has yielded results showing that there is no next of kin.
Now, this mail is coming to you in recognition of the fact that you have the same last name to this client. And as such it will be easy to establish you as the available next of kin. You are required therefore to answer these questions to enable me ascertain your level of interest:
(1) Can you confirm your willingness to accept this inheritance if you are legally and legitimately nominated and approved to stand as inheritor to this huge investment?
(2) Will you be willing to see to the successful transfer of the fund from my bank to your account once the legitimization is done and you are made the NEXT OF KIN to the account owner?
(3) Do you have the capacity to receive and safeguard this fund if it is transferred to you?
(4) Will you be willing to accept 30% of the fund and release the balance of 50% to me and 20% for purpose of charity?
It is pertinent that you inform me as soon as possible whether or not you are interested in the offer. You must appreciate that I am constrained from providing you with more detailed information at this point. Contact me immediately on <david.bentley94@gmail.com> if you're interested for details of how we can go about it. Treat this as strictly CONFIDENTIAL matter.
Thank you for your understanding. I look forward to hearing from you.
God bless you and my kind regards,
Mr. David Bentley
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