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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.
- This email message is a next of kin 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.
- dr.jamesbrown77@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Dr James Brown" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <dr.jamesbrown77@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:58:00 -0700
Subject: hello
>From Dr. James Brown
The Formal Assistance Auditor
The Union Bank Nigeria Plc
Contact Email:dr.jamesbrown77@yahoo.co.uk
I am Dr. James Brown. I work with the Union Bank Nigeria Plc as an (Assistant Auditor), in the discharge
of my duty, I stumbled on this domiciliary account that has remained dormant for a year and seven months
with the sum of Forty five Million Two Hundred and Ten Thousand Dollars US$45,210.00) in it
I contacted my director and enquiries revealed that the account holder died in Plane Crash. I am writing
you so that we can work together to remit the money to you as the next of kin because this money belongs
to a foreigner.
I guarantee this transaction under legitimate arrangements that will not breach the law by both parties; it is
a simple process, which will take 16 working days to process.
Kindly contact me for more information's and please respond with your direct telephone or fax for more
update
Thank you.
Dr. James Brown
The Formal Assistance Auditor
(The Union Bank Nigeria Plc)
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Anti-fraud resources:
