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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:
- "million 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)
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (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.
- dr.benudo@rocketmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: OFFICE FILE <mrleonfredricmsn@hotmail.co.uk>
Reply-To: <drbenudong103@ymail.com>
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2014 12:26:21 +0000
Subject: Please accept my apologies!!
>From Dr.Ben Udo
Eco Bank Plc Lagos Nigeria,
Private Email (dr.benudo@rocketmail.com)
Please accept my apologies for writing you a surprise letter, I am Dr. Ben Udo, account officer with Eco Bank Plc Lagos Nigeria.
I have a very important business I want to discuss with you. There is account opened in my firm by a long-time client of our bank who passed away at result of cancer of lungs in the Federal Capital city Abuja but happen that this account is open in our branch here in Lagos Nigeria.The late deceased is a contractor under Federal Government of Nigeria.
I want us to invest this funds together as i want you to stand as the next of kin to it. The amount worth of Us$16.4 Million Dollars.
All I require is your honest co-operation and I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect us from any breach of the law.
Please respond if interest you with below details:
Name: __________Surname:____________Sex: _____ Age: ______Marital status: __________ Current address: ____________Phone no#___________Occupation:__________Means of ID__________
An Agreement will be send to you as soon as i hear from you with your interest and you sign and return before proceeding with the transfer department.
Kind regards,
Dr.Ben Udo.
Senior Account Officer.
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