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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:
- "hundred thousand u.s 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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: calista mihail <mscalistax3@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: calista mihail <calistamihail@rocketmail.com>
Date: Tue, 4 May 2010 05:35:47 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: From Calista Mihail.
>From Calista Mihail.
My Dear,
Please do reply me through my private mail box above and also send me your direct E-mail to reach you .
It is my pleasure to contact you for a business venture which I intend to establish in your country. Though I have not met with you before but I believe, one has to risk confiding in succeed sometimes in life. There is this huge amount of Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand U.S dollars($12.500,000.00) which my late Father kept for me with a Fiduciary Fund Holder in Abidjan before he was assasinated by the Rebels persons during this war in Cote d'ivoire.
Now I have decided to invest these money in your country or anywhere safe enough outside my country for security and political reasons. I want you to help me claim and retrieve this fund from the Fiduciary Fund Holders and transfer it into your personal account in your country for investment purposes on these areas:
1) Telecommunication
2) The Transport Industry
3) Five Star Hotel
4) Real Estate Management
If you can be of an assistance to me I will be pleased to offer to you 15% of the total fund for your assistance to me. Please reply to me through my private email for more details.
I await your soonest response.
Respectfully yours,
Ms Calista.
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Anti-fraud resources:
