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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.
- 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.
- ackermansarah247@yahoo.com (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "ATM PAYMENT UNIT" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jamestrophyneo@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2017 07:30:38 +0400
Subject: I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE...!!!
I am Mrs. Sarah Ackerman a great citizen of the United States of America born in Jackson, Wyoming, United States, I bring to you a proposal which I want you to assist me with. It is painful now to let you know that I have been suffering from a Heart disease for the past 12 years and just few weeks ago my Doctors notified me that i won't get past another 5 months. I want you to help me distribute some funds i kept aside for charity purposes, to Charity Homes and the poor in your state Please email ackermansarah247@yahoo.com and i'd feed you with more details, You'd be paid to carry out this mission.Hope i read from you soonest and please make sure that you never forget me in your prayers kindly get back to me thanks and God bless you and your household make a prayer over it and you will smell it around you the Lord will not come down to call his own people he will send someone to you now he has sent me to you. God bless you abundantly..........in his riches..................Amen
Sincerely
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Anti-fraud resources:
