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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:
- ",000,000" (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)
- "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)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a orphan scam.
Fraud email example:
From: mary ali <maryali632@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mary ali <mary100ali@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2015 20:27:01 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Hello Dear.
Hello Dear.It is my pleasure to contact you for a business venture which I intend to establish in your country.Though I have not met with you before but I believe,one has to risk confiding in someone to succeed sometimes in life.
There is this amount of US$4,000,000.00 which my late father deposited this money with a bank ofafrica here in Abidjan-Cote d'Ivoire safe keeping before he was assassinated by unknown persons.Now I decided to invest these money in your country or anywhere safe enough outside for security and political reasons.
i want you to help me transfer this money from the bank into your personal account in your country for investment that is Good for you,If you can be of an assistance to me i will be pleased to offer to you 20% of the totoal sum.
if you asepet to help me to transfer my late fathers fund to your account in your conter send me your passpot.and your moball phone number and your home adreses be four i give you the bank contact.so i will trost you will this fund is only tin i inherit fourm my father. i dont want to los it.defour i will give you the contact of the bank.and why i want to transfer the fund to your account is my fathers brothers want to sell all my fathers propatys i am the only dougther of my family.and they plaing bad to me.so that is why.i want to transfer the fund and seve my life pleses help me to transfer the fund and save my life.
thanks
Reply back, From Miss mary ali
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Anti-fraud resources:
