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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: "INTERNATIONAL POLICE DEPT." <npatti@alice.it>
Reply-To: sgt.zainebmousa12@outlook.com
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2015 14:15:56 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: Attention. Please the lawful beneficiary
I felt expedient to write and inform you on the wicked conspiracy hatched by
the duo of JUSTICE
T.Y Waziri and Mr. Lanre Williams of the Ministry of Finance and some of the
Finance Ministry
staffs with numerous fake names to divert your money to their designated
account in Europe and i
decide alert you on this development that the departments of homeland security
USA are holding the
monies for clarifications.Reason they are frustrating you by asking for endless
fees in other to buy time pending on when they
will transfer your funds to their designated account in Cayman Islands. I have
the reference number
of the transaction of the official in charge. I do not need gratification from
you either in cash or
kind. I can never be a part of evil.
I waited for your response so urgent,
God bless you.
Sgt. Zaineb Mousa
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Anti-fraud resources:
