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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:
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
- 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.
- wilsonbenjamin001@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "David Frank" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <wilsonbenjamin001@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2017 08:17:16 -0500
Subject: Compensation
My Good Friend how are you today? Hope all is well with you and your family. You may not understand why this mail came to you.But if you do not remember me, you might have receive an email from me in the past regarding a multi-million-dollar business proposal which we never concluded. I am using this opportunity to inform you that this multi- million-dollar business has been concluded with the assistance of another partner from Japan who financed the transaction to a logical conclusion.
I thank you for your great effort to our unfinished transfer of the fund into your account due to one reason or the other best known to you. But I want to inform you that I have successfully transferred the fund out of my bank to my new partner's account in Japan that was capable of assisting me in this great venture. Due to your effort, sincerity,
courage and trust worthiness you shown during the course of the transaction. I want to compensate you and show my gratitude to you with the sum of US$1.5 Milliom which I kept for your compensation for all the past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter in the past. I appreciated your efforts at that time very much. So feel free and get in touch with my secretary Mr. Benjamin Wilson and instruct him where to send the amount to you.Now contact my secretary, Mr.Benjamin Wilon on this e-mail address:{wilsonbenjamin001@yahoo.com}
I'm very busy here in Japan because for my investment projects which I and the new partner are having at hand. Please I will like you to accept this token with good faith as this is from the bottom of my heart Also comply with my Secretary Mr. Benjamin Wilson directives so that he will send the Fund to you without any delay. You are required to furnish him with the below information to enable him get the fund to you,
1. FULL NAMES:______________
2. ADDRESS:__________________
3. E-MAILADDRESS:______________
4. TELEPHONE NUMBER:___________
Thanks and God bless you and your family.
Regards,
Mr.David Frank
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