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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "chief auditor" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- ericedwards073@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "ERIC EDWARDS" <INFO@ORG.COM>
Reply-To: ericedwards073@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2012 22:52:50 +0800
Subject: PLEASE TREAT VERY URGENT
Dear Friend
I am keen to introduce this business proposal to you as the Bank
Manager to International Commercial Bank Corporate Headquarter in
Lagos Nigeria, Which I know you will be interested to cooperate with
me as the Foreign beneficiary.
On the 7th of November 2011, a customer who died in a plane crash
deposited the sum of US$35.5million into his current account number
0229681005 without the consent of his family and during the Internal
Auditors auditing the bank, they discovered such amount in the bank as
a dormant account without the knowledge of the bank management.
Therefore, I am now soliciting for you to act as the beneficiary so
that this fund will be transferred into your nominated account in your
country and you will be entitled to 40% out of the total sum while 60%
will be for the Chief Auditors and I. And I will not involve myself so
much in this transaction because I am still working in the bank but I
will render you any assistance you need and the risk in it is
itch-free.
You can contact me through my email address;ericedwards073@gmail.com together
with my mobile
number to enable you reach me as quick as possible so that we can
commence the transfer in this regards.
PLEASE , SEND ME YOUR DIRECT CELL PHONE NUMBER FOR US TO DISCUSS FIRST.
Thanks,
ERIC EDWARDS
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