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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:
- "required fee " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: ZIKCO OBI <zikco_obi2006@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: dhl_office@one.co.il
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2011 09:14:57 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Please contact the company immediately
Good day.
I have paid the required fee for your Bank Draft and i took it to the
FINANCIAL BANK PLC to confirm it then the Manager of the Bank MR BENARD MARK
told me that before the CHEQUE will get to you it will expire on the way and
if it expired it will become useless to you, so He advice me to convert
USD$7.5m (SEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) into cash and pack it
into the strong iron box and deposit it in DHL COURIER SERVICE to deliver it
in cash to you.and i did it as he advice me because he is a banker he knows
the durability of any foriegn Bank Draft or Cheque.I deposited the said
package in the Dhl Delivery Company as an Cotton materials for secuirty
reasons, This is the registration Number of your Package ( dhl/122p/mtm/2007)
Zip Code (0113388)So do not let the company to know the real contents of the
package so that they can deliver it for you safely.I want you to contact the
company immediately with the following informations though i give them your
information but you need to reconfirm it for them.Below is the required
infomation you need to give them now,
1.YOUR FULL NAME..........
2. HOME ADDRESS.........
3.HOMEPHONE..............
4. YOUR CELPHONENUMBER................
5.A SCAN COPY OF YOUR PHOTO.........
6.YOUR AGE AND MARITAL STATUS..........
7.YOUR CONUTRY...........
All these things is needed from you now to submmit to the company for urgent
delivery of your package contains $7.5million usd Please contact the delivery
company immediately and reconfirm your info to them to enable their agent
locate you when he arrived in your country. This is the company contactinfo.
Email: (dhl_office@one.co.il)
DR.DAVID TANKO
Tel:(+229) 98-23-16-61.
Director General,Dhl Delivery Company Benin Republic
Please contact the company immediately you receive this email so that your
package will leave tonight to be deliver to you. Get back to me as soon as you
receive your package from the company.
Regards
Barr. Zikco obi
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