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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 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.
- virgkruger@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Virginia Kruger" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <virgkruger@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 6 Mar 2011 21:09:08 -0800
Subject: Please I need your help.
Heloo dear,
I am miss Virginia Kruger from (KwaZulu-Natal) South Africa, I am contacting you because I need your help in management of some amount that my father left for me before he died.
My father was a very successful business man into timber plantation and exportation but was poisoned by his brothers, my uncles that was assisting him in his business due to envy and they are now after me so i had to escape my way to Benin where i am presently.
Please I want you to stand as my guardian to enable you receive the money in your country and as well assist me secure papers that will enable me come over to your country immediately for continuation of my education and investing of the money according to your advise since am only 21 years without mother or father.
Please indicate if your interested in taking me along because my present situation here is critically frustrating.
I will be waiting for your response and please kindly let me know if your not willing so that i can continue searching.
Yours sincerely
Virginia Kruger
virgkruger@hotmail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
