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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:
- "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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Rahma" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <kpogojohn202@foxmail.com>
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 2015 22.28.00 +0100
Subject: I NEED YOU
Sir,
Am Rahma , am 17 year old am writing you this letter so you can help
me because my parents are late and i have an inheritance to collect
but i have been told that i must present someone who will take care of
me when the inheritance is released.
because of my age it can not be released to me. my father is a
contractor with the NNPC and the last contract he executed before he
died was 8.2 million dollars and the NNPC is ready to release the unpaid
contract funds, but my age is still too young i was told to present my
fathers partner or the person taking care of me.
but i have no person because my mother died while given bath to me and
my father died of cancer a year ago. the NNPC has been writing me
letter to present my fathers partner or the person i can present who
will take care of me when the payment is released.
because 5 million dollars is a very huge money so it can only be given
to who ever i presented as my guide or late fathers partner.
please i want you to be the person that will be my guide and i will
present you so the funds can be released to you then you can use it to
take care of me. i want to further my education and what i really want
is a person with a good heart that will take me as his step child, not
because of the money please.
i will give you more information when i receive a reply from you
showing that you will take care of me if i present you to the NNPC so
the funds can be release to you.
am waiting to hear from you.
Waziri
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Anti-fraud resources:
