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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million 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)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- 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.
- morsi50@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "mr.nazarianmsi@ono.com" <mr.nazarianmsi@ono.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2015 11:17:52 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: MY DEAR FRIEND.
Greetings.
I am Mr.Nazarian Morsi a banker, i know that this mail
will come to you as a surprise as we have never met before, but need
not to worry as I am contacting you independently of my investigation
and no one is informed of this communication. I need your urgent
Cooperation in transferring the sum of $11.3 Million dollars
immediately to your private account.The money has been here in our
Bank lying dormant for years now without anybody coming for the claim
of it.
The fund belong to our deceased Customer Mrs.Shannel Lake who
perished along with her family since January 31 2000. The Banking
laws here does not allow such money to stay more than 16 years,that
is the reason why i need your Cooperation in transferring the money
to your bank account so that we can use it to secure the future of
our both families because i don't want the money to be recalled to
the bank treasury as unclaimed fund. By indicating your interest I
will send you the full details on how the business will be executed.
Please keep this proposal as a top secret and delete if you are not
interested. Kindly Contact Me Back My Private Email Box: (mr.nazarian.
morsi50@hotmail.com) please it is very important
Best Regards,
Mr.
Nazarian Morsi.
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Anti-fraud resources:
