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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "please indicate your willingness" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "u.k " (this email uses bad English)
- "samuelmoore@1email.eu" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Samuel Moore" <office17@ahhsytee.x10.bz>
Reply-To: <samuelmoore@1email.eu>
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2016 12:04:35 -0500
Subject: Good Day
Dear friend,
I make this contact to you after careful thought that you might be capable of handling this transaction bearing in mind that this email contact to you is not in error.
One Mr. Badri Patarkatsishvili a Georgian businessman brought chunk of 100% pure Gold in (24 karats diamond quality) to my office for an official evaluation in cash value and for deposit. After inspection and evaluation the exchange value was GBP £9.5m. I advised him to come back after 3 banking days to enable me perfect all internal documentations for exchange value which is our banking protocol. However, I issued him certificate of deposit valued GBP £9.5m that empowers him ownership of the deposit. After three days I did not see him I felt perhaps he may have been engaged in other business activities as a businessman.
After some good months I became worried about the whereabouts of Mr. Badri Patarkatsishvili having exhausted all available means to locate him. Unfortunately he was unable to fill the Next of Kin form which would have made my search simple. In my curiosity to end this trauma, I confided with one of my colleagues in the office about the difficulty in locating Mr. Badri Patarkatsishvili.
It was then he disclosed that the man was involved in motor accident with all his families members all died in a London Hospital. My colleague and I now decided to work this for ourselves with you as our co operating partner who we shall front as the Next of Kin to Mr. Badri Patarkatsishvili by using your details to complete the vacant Next of Kin form.
To boost the transaction, the whole information is with me alone and bank relies solely on the documented information of the deceased customer which I am privileged to as his account officer before he died.
Please indicate your willingness through email address samuelmoore@1email.eu
Best regards,
Mr. Samuel Moore
Director of Debt/Asset management,
Investec Private Bank Ltd London U.K
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