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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.
- 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.
- frank.a.maxwell@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Frank A Maxwell" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <frank.a.maxwell@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2013 14:09:56 -0700
Subject: Re:Good Day Your Urgent Advice Is Needed In Investing In Your Country
Good Day,
How are you and the the rest of the family doing, hope fine. I know that this mail will come as a surprise to you since we have not meet before,I am Mr.Frank Addo Maxwell from Ghana West Africa and I immensely request for your optimum honesty and cooperation in confiding you with a business for our mutual partnership and relationship.
I am seeking your cooperative and partnership in investing in your country and i need your honest respond if you will be able to handle the amount.
So i want to know if you can handle this project and can i give you my trust
Get back to me through my email for further details. frank.a.maxwell@gmail.com please send me an email for confidentiality
Sincerely
Frank Maxwell
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Anti-fraud resources:
