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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:
- "huge sum of money" (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)
- "confidentiality of this transaction" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "my names are " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: msaishaala@anb.org
Reply-To: msaishaala002@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 2015 13:10:22 +0000
Subject: Re: Please Reply Asap
It is my humble pleasure to write you this confidential letter irrespective of the fact that you do not know me. Hence, I solicit your strictest confidence in this transaction, My Names are MS.AISHA ALA; I am the REMITTANCE DIRECTOR in the Arab National Bank. I have decided to contact you on a business transaction that will be very beneficial to both of us.
During my Auditing of the Bank's Accounts for last month, I came across a very huge sum of money belonging to a deceased person (MR. FIKRI HAYTHAM). An Iraqi Citizen who was among the people that Died during the recent war in Iraq. Before his Death, he had the sum of US$35Million in a Fixed Deposit Account in this Bank and the Money matured since November last year.
I suggest that you Open a New Account with Zero Balance (NO MONEY INSIDE) and we shall effectively use it for this transaction provided that it can be able to Accommodate the Funds. I require you to maintain the confidentiality of this transaction Immediately I receive your response indicating your interest, I shall send you more details. Remember that your Faithfulness, and Confidentiality is mostly required.
MS. AISHA ALA.
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Anti-fraud resources:
