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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:
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "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.
- 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.
- keitaolivia@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Keita Olivia <keita44olivia@live.com>
Reply-To: keitaolivia@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 25 May 2012 21:19:12 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Letter Of Relationship & Establishment Of Aids.
>From Miss Olivia Keita
I am Miss Olivia Keita, 21 years old from Abidjan economic capital city of Cote d'Ivoire. I solicit your urgent help to get my inheritance fund transferred to your account in your country for investment projects. This is an inheritance from my late father Mr. Joseph Keita who served as a Director in one of the biggest Cocoa exporting companies here. I just want to transfer this fund to a foreign partner abroad because of constant political crisis in this nation. My late father wanted to invest it into real estate business before he died. The amount involve is US$10.5M.
I will send to you all the details concerning the fund as soon as I receive your reply. Indicate your interest in receiving this fund in your nominated bank account by making provisions of your personal details as listed below so that I will proceed to the deposit bank to file in official application in your favour to receive my inheritance.
1. Your full names and address.
2. Your Sex & Nationality
3. Your Mobile /Telephone numbers
4. Your Age & Occupation
Kindly e-mail me right now at: keitaolivia@yahoo.com, For more details.
Waiting for your urgent reply
Miss Olivia Keita.
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Anti-fraud resources:
