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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "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 "dying widow" scam.
- 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.
- mariamsayouba01@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Mariam Sayouba <mariamsayouba01@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2023 19:01:23 +0100
Subject: Highly Regarded
Compliment of the day
Sorry for barging into your privacy as I found your contact email in a
trustee directory list. I am really in need of your kind assistance and I
believe we can achieve everything together and create something great. I am
mrs Mariam Sayouba, I am from Tunisia and I am contacting you from a
hospital in Burkina Faso. I want to tell you this because I don't have any
other option than to tell you as I was touched to open up to you. I married
Mr. Sayouba Brown who worked with the Tunisia Ambassador in Burkina Faso
for fifteen years before he died in 2016. We were married for eleven years
without a child.
He died after a brief illness that lasted for only three days. Since his
death. I decided not to remarry. When my late husband was alive, he
deposited the sum of US$ 8.5 million dollars. (eight million five hundred
Thousand Dollars) in a bank in Ouagadougou the capital city of Burkina Faso
in west Africa. Presently this money is still in the bank. He made this
money available from exportation of Gold from Burkina Faso mining.
Recently, my doctor told me that I would not last for the period of seven
months due to blood cancer and hemorrhagic stroke. Having known my
condition I decided to hand this money over to you to take care of the
less-privileged people, you will utilize this money the way I am going to
instruct herein. I want you to take 30 Percent of the total money for your
personal use. While 70% of the money you will use to build an orphanage
home in my late husband's name. And help the poor people in the street. I
grew up as an Orphan and I don't have anybody as my family member, just to
endeavor that the house of God is maintained. I am doing this In regards to
my late husband's wish. This illness has affected me so much. I am just
like a living death.
As soon as I receive your reply. I will give you the contact of the bank in
Burkina Faso and I will also instruct the Bank Manager to issue you an
authority letter that will prove you the present beneficiary of the money
in the bank, that is if you assure me that you will act accordingly as I
Stated herein.
From Mrs. Mariam Sayouba
mariamsayouba01@gmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources: