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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: andy gbagbo <andygbaggbo@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2014 11:51:17 +0000
Subject: confidential
DEAR FRIEND ,
Please i want you to read this letter very carefully and i must apologize
for bringing this message into your mail box without any formal
introduction due to the urgency and confidential of this issue and i know
that this message will come to you as a surprise, .
My Urgent need for a foreign partner that is what made me to contact you
for this legal transaction. I am a banker by profession from Togo.
currently holding the post of director Auditing and accounting
unit of the bank. I have the opportunity of taransferring the left over
Funds ($45.5 million) of one of my bank clients who died Along with his
entire family in a car crash on December 6 2007.
And I don’t want the money to go into our Bank treasury account as an
unclaimed fund. So this is the reason why i contacted you so that our bank
will release this money to you as the next of kin to the deceased customer.
Please I would like you to keep this proposal as top secret. Before the
time of his death, he had on a visit to my branch office confided in me
that no one except me knew of his deposit in my bank.
Therefore, Fourty Five million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars is
still lying in my bank and no one will ever come forward to claim it. It is
against this backdrop that my suggestion that I would like you as a
foreigner to stand as the next of kin to Paul Louis so that you will
be able to receive his funds for our mutual benefit.
We will share the fund at the ration of 60% for me while 40 % for you.
There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for this transaction will be
done by the attorney and my position as the Branch Manager guarantees the
successful execution of this transaction. From banking experience it will
take up to seven ( 7) working days to conclude this transfer.
I sincerely need your help because this might be
opportunity for us to put this fund into investment in your country. I
also would want you to treat this
affair as both urgent, top secret and confidential.
This payment will be effected through Swift Telegraphic
Transfer.
Your Urgent response is needed for immediate transfer of this fund in to
your receiving bank account. And waiting for your urgent reply.
(FILL THIS FORM BELLOW PLEASE AND RESEND IT TO ME)
Your name in full…………………………….
Your country…………………………………..
Your age………………………………………..
Your cell phone………………………………
Your occupation……………………………..
Your sex………………………………………..
Your marital status…………………………..
Your bank name………………………………
Best Regards,
DR ANDY GBAGBO
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