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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- 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.
- adolamp@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Lanre Nelson" <fampah002@att.net>
Reply-To: <dkorona00@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:59:00 +0100
Subject: Your Mail
Hello
I am an accountant in a Bank, I work in a bank here and there is the sum of money floating in a dormant account that belongs to a late customer who died alongside his family in the crash of December.
As his personal accountant I will like this money be transferred into your account as the next of kin of the deceased customer, because in the bank directors meeting today was said the money will automatically go into government treasury at the end of this year if no one claims the money.
Contact me today, while I furnish you on how this will work out. Contact E-mail: (adolamp@gmail.com)
Yours faithfully,
Nelson
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Anti-fraud resources:
