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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:
- 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:
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Marina Landan <marilobouabre13@yahoo.co.jp>
Reply-To: Marina Landan <marinalandan@outlook.fr>
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 02:25:44 +0900 (JST)
Subject: I hope my message finds you in good health?
Hello my dear,
I hope my message finds you in good health?
Please let me firstly introduce myself to you. I am Miss Marina Landan the only daughter of late Mr. Landan Inua who was the general director of Adjame coffee-cocoa board exportation committee before his sudden death. Please I need your assistance to transfer my inheritance funds valued USD6.5M for investment project in your country. I need your immediate help to relocate this fund to your country so that I can come over to join you to continue my education from where I stopped while you engage in investing the funds into secured and lucrative ventures of your choice as I have little or no knowledge about business field.
My dear, please if you have an ideal of a lucrative business where we can invest the money in your country do contact me immediately so that I will send the depsoit document of the funds to you for your perusal also I will introduce and present you to the deposit bank as my foreign partner to receive my inheritance deposit. My priority for now is not even the investment of the fund but the continuation of my education that was disrupted by the sudden demise of my beloved Dad.
Please if you are willing to assist me to receive this fund in your custody and carry out the investment project under your patronage kindly reply immediately for more details and guideline on how the transaction will be handled.
Yours Sincerely,
Marina Landan.
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Anti-fraud resources:
