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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand united states 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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Harry Vickers" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <havicker@yahoo.cn>
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 23:53:33 +0800
Subject: Valuable Project Partnership.
Dear Friend,
I know this is not the best medium to contact you but I am most compelled due to the urgency and time frame needed to execute this project. I wish to introduce to you a project that would be of immense benefit to both of us. Being a banker, it is possible that we may be tempted to make funds out of our client's situations; when we cannot help it or left with no better option.
The issue I am presenting to you is a case of my client who died without a will of intestate and left Seventeen million Six hundred thousand United States dollars ($17.6million) in the coffers of our bank. It was most unfortunate that he and his supposed next of kin died on the same day in auto-crash. However, I don't belong to that school of thought which proposes that the funds of unlucky people be given to the government as that is the regulation if it is unclaimed.
I therefore seek for your assistance in presenting you as next of kin to the deceased. Please give your response once you receive this email to enable me reveal other details pertaining the claim, the deceased and our country's inheritance procedure.
Regards,
Harry Vickers
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Anti-fraud resources:
