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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:
- "might come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million 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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs .Aisha Gaddafi" <mrs.sophealj90@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrsaisha11199@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2021 00:00:15 -0700
Subject: Hello Dear
Hello My Beloved
Assistance please Bear with me I am writing this mail to you with
Tears And Sorrow From My Heart.
I, am Mrs Aisha Muaammar Gaddafi The only Daughter of Late President
Of Libya I know my mail might Come
to you as a surprise Because you don,t Know me but Due to Unsolicited
Nature Of My Situation Here IN the
Refugee Camp Here In Ouagadougou Burkina Faso I was in Oman Just
because of the Bad people that kill my
Father they are still Looking for me that is why I Run down to Burkina
Faso with Children i decided to contact
you for help i have passed through Pains and sorrowful moments since
the Death of my father At the meantime my
my family is the Target of a western Nation led by Nato who wants to
destroy my father at all costs. our Investment
and bank account in Several Countries are their Targets to Freeze the Account
My Father of blessed Memory Deposited the Sum Of 18.5 Million Dollars
at the bank Of Spain which he used my
names as the next of Kin I have been commissioned by the bank to
present an international foreign investor, partner
who can stand as my trustee and to receive the fund in his account
without any problem from the Government
Of Spain,
Please I want you to help me with this I will be loyal to you all the
days of my Life Please I will pay you back
Please I need your Urgent Respond
From Mrs Aisha Gaddafi
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Anti-fraud resources:
