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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "consignment " (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.
- 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.
- specialcourierdeliveryagent@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. John Woodman" <wbpjimyongkimm@outlook.com>
Reply-To: <directordhlcompany@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2016 17:08:03 +0100
Subject: Attn: Valuable Customer
Attn: Valuable Customer,
We wish to inform you that the Agent conveying your two Consignment
Brief Case Boxes valued at the sum of ($4.5M US) misplaced your mailing
address on transmit and he is currently stranded at your international
airport with your Consignment Boxes. We require you reconfirm the
following information to him, so he can complete the delivery of your
consignment boxes.
Full Name:
Current Address:
Mobile No:
Name of Your Nearest Airport:
Contact Person: Churchill Steven
AGENT EMAIL: specialcourierdeliveryagent@gmail.com
He is waiting to receive the required information from you today. INFO:
The agent doesn't know that the content of the box is $4.5Million USD
and on no circumstances should you let him know about what it contain,
the two consignment Brief Case Boxes was moved from here as family
treasures, so never allow him to open it, Please make sure you do not
disclose body of this letter to him so that he won't be able to know
what is in the two Brief Case Boxes.
NOTE: According to your partner who deposited this Two Consignment
Brief Case Boxes in our Company DHL, told us that he had an uncompleted
business with you THREE years ago regarding a Bank to Bank wire transfer
proposal which you both never concluded. Now he wants to use this medium
to inform you that the Bank to Bank wire transfer business has been
concluded with another person who financed it to a logical conclusion.he
said to us that he wants to compensate you and show his gratitude to
you.
Yours sincerely
Mr. John Woodman
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