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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:
- "hundred thousand us dollars" (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)
- ",500,000" (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)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a next of kin 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.
- edwin.anderson565@vfemail.net (Vfemail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Edwin Anderson <edwinanderson77@gmail.com>
Reply-To: edwinanderson123@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2017 03:20:07 -0700
Subject: Good day To You!!
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Good day To You!!
Greetings. I am Mr Edwin Anderson, a Ghana Government auditor and I work in
the International operation department in a Bank here in Accra Ghana. My
purpose of contacting you is that I am looking for a Reliable partner in a
foreign country to place as the next of kin to a dormant account that have
not been operated for years in my bank with a total sum of $17,500,000. 00
USD (seventeen million, five hundred thousand us dollars)and on further
discreet investigation I also discovered that the account holder has long
since passed away (dead) leaving no beneficiary to the account.I contacted
you because you are a foreigner and i will provide to you the necessary
claim documents the bank will require from you in other to claim this fund
including the details information of the account in my next mail . i will
inform you on what to do if you are going to assure me that you will not
betray me and my family with this fund in your possession so as to enable
me to start the paper work immediately without further delay. Keep this
business withing your self for security and safe reasons.Thanks as I am
anticipation of your favorable response. Have a pleasant day.reply me on
my private email address (edwin.anderson565@vfemail.net ) for more details
Sincerely Mr.Edwin Anderson
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