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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:
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- 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.
- christillezenti1@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs Zenti" <info@zenti.com>
Reply-To: christellezenti@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 02 May 2018 13:32:41 +0200
Subject: GREETINGS
Good morning, My name is Madame Christille Zenti South African I am married=
to late Mr. Sai Gabriel Zenti who worked with Angola embassy in Ivory Coas=
t for nine years before he died in the year October 2009. We were married f=
or Thirty-six years with a child. My husband died after a illness that last=
ed only for Eight days. Before his death we were both a good believer's. Wh=
en my late husband was alive we deposited the sum of ($) 15,200, 000.00 USD=
(fifteen million two hundred thousand dollars) with one of the good banks =
here in Cote d'Ivoire. Presently, this money is still with the bank. I have=
been diagnose with Esophageal cancer , Recently my Doctor told me that I w=
ould not last for the next three months due to the illness. Having known my=
condition I have decided to donate this Fund to believer's That will utili=
ze this money the way I am going to Instruct here in. My daughter is just 1=
4 year old now and Very humble child and my husband=2019s relatives are not=
good people and I don=2019t want the hard earned money to be misused by th=
is evil relative of my late husband. I am presently placed on dialysis chec=
kup and will not need telephone communication most of the time because of m=
y heath and you can call my daughter so that you can speak with her. Due to=
what i have been going through in the hands of my late husband relatives a=
round me. They have sold most of my husband=2019s property I don=2019t want=
a situation where this money will be used in any way that those not concer=
n by the fear of God. That is the reason for taking this bold decision. I a=
m not afraid of death hence I know where I am going to. I know that I am go=
ing to be in the bosom of the Almighty God. I don=2019t want any of my husb=
and family relatives to receive this money. Please contact me through my pr=
ivate email address below ( christillezenti1@yahoo.com ) for more details. =
So i will instruct you on what to do. Remain blessed, Yours Mrs. Christille=
Zenti
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