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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:
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- 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.
- barr.mucherichads@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Barr.Muche Richards" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barr.mucherichads@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2014 00:42:32 -0500
Subject: You are expected to play in this project.
Do accept my greetings
I am Barr.Muche Richards, the Principal partner of Chris Odikpo&Associates(a law firm). Though I do not know much about your area of specialization but I have the authority of my client (a widow) to invest the sum of $8.3M (USD) outside the shores of Africa. The money was initially deposited with a bank here by her late husband.
The documents to that account have been handed over to me and I have equally confirmed the availability of the fund with the bank and their readiness to release the money as soon as we are ready for the investment.My client will like part of the fund to be used in buying her a good apartment in a not very cold location as she intends to relocate finally out of Africa while the balance should be invested into other areas that can guarantee a good profit on investment in a short or long term basis with your assistance.
Though my client is not much in a good state of health at the moment but she strongly believes that if she can get a better medical attention in US, she will be well again but in the mean time, you are to deal with me as her personal attorney as all relevant documents relating to the deposit are in my custody.
In view of the pivotal role that you are expected to play in this project, a reasonable percentage of the money has been earmarked as your compensation from the investment fund either in cash or in shares
with the company to be set up.
Please let me have your thought on this and a brief introduction of the area you think she can invest in as quickly as possible. kindly contact me via my direct E-mail: barr.mucherichads@gmail.com
Best regards,
Barr.Muche Richards
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