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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:
- "million 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)
- "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Dunwoody M. T" <mr.david.tawanda@gmail.com>
Reply-To: dunwoody.mirriam.t@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2021 09:58:44 +0200
Subject:
--
Thank you for the great opportunity you gave to me to chat with you here on
online it make made to belive that you are the heart kinded person i have
been seraching for, right now I am in need of your assistance.as i have
told you earlier i am a pilot but sometimes i also do flight maintance
here which is know/call Military Engineering Unit, me and my friend have
$10 Million US dollars that we want to move out of the iraq so me and my
friend is looking for a good partner, someone we can trust very much to
help us receive and keep this money very safe and secured without telling
his/her family or friends about this money for a security reasons.though
you maybe think it is a risk to receive or keep this big money but i want
to tell you that it is a free and legal business (oil money) as soon you
recive this money you have to take your own 30 % and keep the rest for me
and my from. sometimes you maybe thinking why did we not send it to our
account in U.S but we would have like to do that but due to the new
president and on going new laws.i want you to know that this money can only
be move through courier service or the diplomat will come with it to
deliver it to your door post If You are interested, I will Furnish You with
more Details. The Whole Process Is simple And You must Please Ensure Strict
Confidentiality at all Times.
I look Forward to Your reply and Co-operation, and I thank You in Advance
as you will participate Your co-operation
Best Regards
L.T Dunwoody M. T
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