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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:
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- ",500,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "abidjan" (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.
- paul.lambert72230@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Paul Lambert <angelarochert@gmail.com>
Reply-To: paul.lambert72230@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 08:56:48 +0000
Subject: Dear respectful one
Dear respectful one
My name is Paul Lambert I am 22 years old from Liberia. Please go
through below my mail to see if you can assist for our mutual benefit.
My late father was a cocoa and gold business man.
He died in a motor accident with my mother one week after his trip to
Abidjan Cote d' Ivoire to negotiate on a cocoa business he wanted to
invest in. My mother died instantly and my father followed up five
days after in the hospital. May there soul rest in perfect peace.
Before the death of my father, he disclosed to me about sum of
$7,500,000.00 USD) seven Million Five Hundred Thousands United States
Dollars he deposited in a bank in Cote d' Ivoire for the investment
with my name as next of kin.
I am a novice in terms of business and can not be able to handle
investment of the money by my self and do not want to involve my
relatives as instructed by my late father.
I solicit for your assistance to guard me invest the money as partners
under your care.
If we happen to do this together, before any thing is done with the money,
I will give you 25% of the total money as compensation for your assistance.
I look forward to hearing from you for more details if you are willing
are able to handle this.
Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated here and
Please I will like you to contact me Immediately you receive this mail
so that I will give you more info's write me on this e-mail
( paul.lambert72230@gmail.com )
Best regards.
Paul Lambert,
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