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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:
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- 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.
- willamsdlp@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Nancy Williams <ofille25@yahoo.co.nz>
Reply-To: Nancy Williams <willamsdlp@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 21:04:52 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Greeting"s
Â
 Greeting and peace be upon you as you read this message,i know this letter
 will come to you as a huge surprise,but I implore you to take the time to
 go through it carefully as the decision l make will go a long way to
 facilitate my peaceful repose and the manifestation of my last wish.I am
 Nancy Williams an aging widow of 89 years old suffering from long time
 chronic organ failure resulting from terminal cancer which has left me
 paralysed and bedridden for the past 3 years.I was recently notified by my
 late husband Michel Williams who died in the Air France Flight 447 crash
 had an outstanding and unclaimed cash deposit account worth the sum of
 US$15,600,000.00 whose deposit documents bears my name as the next of kin
 and is presently facing danger of being declared a dormant account and
 returned to the government treasury.
Â
 My present state of health does not permit me to take any direct action
 here and i do not wish to have the sweat of my late husband end up in the
 hands of undeserving government officials. I need a very honest and God
 fearing Christian who i can make the executor of my WILL and have this
 unclaimed funds released to so it could be used for charity works.
Â
 MY GREATEST WISH IS TO GIVE THIS FUNDS SECURED AND USED FOR CHARITY
 WORKS.I choose you from the several email contacts presented to by the
 nursing staff and after honest prayers to the LORD to bring me a helper
 and i decided to contact you if you may be willing and interested to
 handle these trust funds in good faith before anything happens to me.
Â
 I am in urgent need of your cooperation and I believe a divine force is
 driving me to contact you for this noble task,you must not fail me and the
 millions of the poor people in our today's WORLD.This is my legitimate
 inheritance and NOT stolen money and there are no dangers involved as all
 is 100% RISK FREE with concrete legal proof.
 Please if you would be able to cooperate with me as my legally appointed
 executor of my last Will and Testament and ensure my inheritance is put to good use benefiting the less privileged and victims of natural disasters
 around the globe.
 willamsdlp@hotmail.com
 Yours Sincerely,
 Nancy Williams
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