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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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "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.
- mrzongokomi1@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Zongo Komi <zongokomi@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 2015 08:11:46 -0500
Subject: From the Desk of Mr Zongo Komi.
>From theDesk of Mr Zongo Komi.
ManagerBill and Exchange Dept
AfricanDevelopment Bank (ADB)
Ouagadougou Burkina Faso.
Dear,
I know thatthis mail will come to you as a surprise. I am the bill and Exchange manager inAfrican Development Bank .I Hope that you will not expose or betray this trustand confident that i am about to Repose on you for the mutual benefit of ourboth families.
I need yoururgent assistance in transferring the sum of $25.5 million immediately to youraccount. The money has been dormant for years in our Bank here without any bodycoming for it.
I want torelease the money to you as the nearest person to
Ourdeceased customer I don't want the money to go into our Bank treasury as anabandoned fund.
So this isthe reason why i contacted you, so that the bank can release the money to youas the nearest person to the deceased customer.
Please iwill like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete if you are notinterested.
Uponreceipt of your reply, I will send you full details on how the Business will beexecuted and also note that you will have 40% of the above mentioned sum. Acknowledgereceipt of this message in acceptance of my mutual business endeavour byfurnishing me with the following:
1. YourFull Names and Address.
2. DirectTelephone and Fax numbers
I expectyour sincere reply via my private e-mail: mrzongokomi1@gmail.com
Mr Zongo komi.
AfricanDevelopment Bank,
Burkina Faso West Africa.
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Anti-fraud resources: