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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:
- "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "the 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)
- "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)
- "million united states 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)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Clinton Raymond" <Clintonraymond@madcad.com>
Reply-To: clintonrraymnd202@yahoo.com
Date: 28 Oct 2017 02:49:48 -0700
Subject: BUSINESS PROPOSAL AND INVESTMENT
Hello friend,
I am Mr.Clinton Raymond of the United Nations peace keeping team
in Ur Iraq right now and I am the head of humanitarian duties.
I'm really sorry to barge into you without meeting you in person,
though it is a matter of urgency and i want it to be a top secret
between both of us and I would not like to discuss much on here
for security reasons like I told you before.
Though, on the cause of my duty I discovered a fortune that
consist of a sum of $7.5 million United States dollars and 20kgs
of gold bar in a consignment box which was found by me here in Ur
Iraq in an oil company warehouse and due to the Rules of the
united nations peace keeping policy, I will need your assistance
to help me receive and invest this fund back home by which I will
come and meet with you after my mission here is over and also, I
am going to ration the fund in percentages by which 30% will be
yours while I take the remaining 70%. I have already moved the
consignment box through the help of diplomat to a security
company in Northern Irag.
I will explain more to you concerning how we can move the
consignment box to you in my next email. I wait for your email if
you will be willing to be my partner. If it might interest you to
know the details? Kindly leave your email address and telephone
number on here to enable me reaches out to you.
Waiting for your response to proceed.
Best Regards,
Mr. Clinton Raymond
United Nations humanitarian
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