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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:
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "chambers" (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.
- mrumarakmel@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Mr Umar Akmel <mr.umar_ak90@outlook.com>
Reply-To: mrumarakmel@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 08 May 2015 08:49:42 -0400
Subject: VERY URGENT.
My Dear Good Friend.
Compliment of the season, how are you and your family? Hope All is
well. I am Mr Umar Akmel, the accountant general in the accounts unit
Bank of Africa (BOA-BF) Ouagadougou Burkina Faso. I got your contact
from the Burkina Faso chambers of commerce have some fund to claim in
my bank Which will be of benefit to both of us.
I want you to be an inheritor of the fund, the fund is in a Doormat
account and with your bank information and my Documentation certifies
you as the inheritor/beneficiary Since I am an insider and working in
the same bank, the Transfer will be processed legally and successfully
and I will Be coming down to your country for disbursement.
The amount of money involved is ($5.6m) which I want you to Claim for
further transfer out of the country to your bank Account, all to our
financial benefit. This is very great opportunity as it will take a
maximum of 7 banking Working days to be concluded.
I as an insider will do my duties perfectly well concerning this
transaction for security reasons. This is confidential for successful
conclusion and hitch-free transaction. Contact me immediately for
further details and mutual Relationship and we will decide together on
how to disburse The funds and percentage as well, my private email
Address: (mrumarakmel@gmail.com)
I will be waiting to hear from you.
Yours truly.
Mr Umar Akmel
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