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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:
- "insurance fee " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "hundred thousand united state dollars" (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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
Fraud email example:
From: "ericuba022@hotmail.com" <ericuba3@gmail.com>
Reply-To: ericuba022@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2015 14:09:50 +0100
Subject: YOUR.....ATM CARD IS ON THE WHY.
FROM THE DISK OF MR. ERIC UBA
Director of A/C Crediting
Intercontinental Nigeria Plc.
TEL: +234-8034-99-58-52
Attn: Sir/Madam,
This is to congratulate you for scaling through the hurdles of screening by
the board of directors of this payment task force. Your payment file was
approved
and the instruction was given us to release your payment and activate your
ATM card for use.
The first batch of your card which contains Two Million Five Hundred
Thousand United State Dollars ($2.5M) And it has been activated and package
for a quick.
delivery of it to your destination address via FedEx Currier company,
because we have signed a contract with them which should expired by April
16th of this
year. And the Good news we have for you is to let you know that every
arrangement regarding all the documentation of your approve ATM CARD
payment dispatch
is ready in this office. And the only thing you have to do is to offset the
insurance fee of your card which is $45 U.S. DOLLARS by FedEx Delivering
Company.
to avoid any hitches from any agency that will stop your delivery parcel
from not getting to your country destination....
However, you have only 2 days to send this $45 U.S. DOLLARS for the
insurance fee of your card, if we don't hear from you with the payment
information; the
Federal Government will cancel the card. Below is the paying information to
make the insurance fee through western union money transfer or money gram.
Receivers Name:......... DAVID NNEJI
Address:................ Lagos Nigeria
Text Question:................ GOOD
Text Answer: .........Trust
Amount:...... $45
We also need your full name and address including your telephone number for
easy communication with you on the delivery cause we will not beheld
responsible
for a wrong delivery. so I wait to hear from you with the payment info to
enable us proceed with the delivering of your card. call me as soon as you
make the
payment for an update or email me ASAP.
Yours Truly
Mr. ERIC UBA
Director of A/C Crediting
Intercontinental Nigeria Plc.
TEL: +234-8034-99-58-52
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