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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.
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Victor Miguel Esq" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <victormiguelesq@e1.ru>
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2014 14:40:48 -0400
Subject: Important info
Sir,
My name is Victor Miguel Esq, a legal practitioner based in Spain. I wish
to confide in you in an urgent matter that relates to an abandoned fund
deposited in a bank by my later client; Late Engr. Theodor before his
death in 2006. I am actually seeking for your consent to authorize his bank
to remit the sum of USD11Million deposited with them to you as the heir to
the deceased as his family relatives since you share the same surname. Note
that the intended transaction will be executed under legitimate legal
manner that will protect you from any breach of law. I will use my position
as the client's attorney to guarantee the successful execution of this
transaction. I will give you comprehensive details of this transaction when
you indicate your interest. Be informed that you will keep fifty percent of
the total sum for your efforts. I look forward for your quick response.
Yours Sincerely,
Victor Miguel Esq.
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Anti-fraud resources:
