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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.
- 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.
- 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.
- chengpark0@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "HSBC Japan" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <chengpark0@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 2015 00:37:19 -0600
Subject: MESSAGE
Good day,
This is a personal email directed to you for your consideration alone, I humbly request that it remain and be treated as such only.
Please bear with me for. I decided to contact you via an email to get us acquainted since it is a safer way of private communication.
If you must know, I came about your contact information through a home page on charity organization directory on the Internet
while trying to locate any link to an orphanage home.
I am a banker with HSBC in Japan. I have an interesting business proposal for you
which I think will be of immense mutual benefit. Although this may be hard for you to believe, we stand to gain $7.2 million USD
between us in a matter of days.
Please grant me the benefit of doubt and hear me out. I need you to signify your interest by replying to this email.
I will make more details available to you on receipt of a positive response from you.
Please Do contact me only at my private email address: chengpark0@gmail.com
Warm regards from Japan.
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Anti-fraud resources:
