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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:
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "you are advise to" (this email uses bad English)
- 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.
- antonioguterres451@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. António Guterres" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <antonioguterres451@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2023 07:24:32 -0700
Subject: ATTENTION
UNITED NATIONS ASSISTED PROGRAMMED
DIRECTORATE OF INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT AND
TRANSFERS. UNITED NATIONS LIAISON OFFICE
LONDON UNITED KINGDOM
WIRE TRANSFER/AUDIT UNIT
Our Ref: UN/CPO/WB/845/2023
ATTENTION
How are you today? Hope all is well with you and family? You may not
understand why this mail came to you. We have been having a meeting
for the past three months which ended two days ago with the UNITED
NATIONS BOARD AND WORLD BANK ORGANIZATION AUDITORS, with New
secretary to the United Nations. Mr. António Guterres. This mail is
for the people that have been scammed in any part of the world.
The UNITED NATIONS have agreed to compensate them with the sum of
$750,000 USD (Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars}
each. This includes every foreign contractors that may have not
received their contract sum, and people that have had an unfinished
transaction or international businesses that failed due to Government
problems etc. We found your name in our list and that is why we are
contacting you. This has been agreed upon and has been signed.
You are advise to get back to us as soon as you receive this important
email, by re-confirming your details below;
1. Your full name in detail
2. Your current address
3. Your Telephone number
4. Date of birth
We needed your urgent reply on this important message, so that we can
direct you to our official bank that will affect your payment
immediately without any delay.
Mr. António Guterres
United Nations Secretary General.
https://www.un.org/sg/en
E-mail: antonioguterres451@gmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
