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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:
- "trunk box" (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)
- "trunk boxes" (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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Abu Bakr." <iamabubakrrlas@gmail.com>
Reply-To: abubakr@uncct.47.pl
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2015 09:37:43 -0300
Subject: Good day.
Good day,
I am Abu Bakr, a rebel leader here in Aleppo Syria, we wish to use these
medium to solicit for your indulgent in private issue, my commanders came
across two hidden trunk boxes and the content is money in President Bashar
Hafez Al-Assad's allies house and we have moved the money out of the war
zone with the help of UN medical aids here in Syria, we are looking for a
trust worthy person who can receive this money in his/her bank account
pending when the war here in my country Syria is over.
If you can be of a help kindly get back to us through this email and if
you are not ready for the assistance please and please do not let this be
known to anyone as this may bring division among us the rebels.
Yours sincerely.
Abu Bakr.
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Anti-fraud resources:
