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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:
- "million united states dollars" (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)
- "cotonou" (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.
- mr_infoupdate@yahoo.se (Yahoo, Sweden; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "DADU MIKE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <dadumike1@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 21 May 2014 05:58:20 -0700
Subject: CAN I TRUST YOU?
Sir,
I am Mr Dadu Mike from IRAQ. I am an architect by profession.I got your contact address from internet while searching for some one to assist us to achieve our goal. My in-law who is the director of works and employment in the present regime of my country has asked me to contact somebody out side our country who can assist us for investment out side our country for security reason as we can not have any good investment here right now because of war crises. Presently i am out of our country due to the problem of war. i am in a country called republic of Benin-Cotonou. Republic of Benin is a small country in Africa. i am there to save my life due to the sincere of killing civilians in my country.My contact address is: Anne Hekpazo 01 BP 2163 Cotonou-republic of Benin.
I promised him that I will look for somebody that can assist us, he has told me everything concerning the investment. I believe that if you can assist us the business will favor all of us. MY IN LAW has mapped out $US95 Million United States Dollars for this investment purpose but he can not do this by him self but through a foreign partner and that was the reason why i am contacting you regards to this project. He want to use the money to buy house and invest the rest in any business that you may advise us to go into.
Right now I would like you to send to me your private email address and phone number where I can send more information regards to the business to you. the business is for our future hope, I want the business to be only between you and I including him over there in my country IRAQ. As soon as you send your communication link to me i will not hesitate to send more details to you. I am hoping to hear from you as soon as possible. Reply to my private email id : SEND YOUR REPLY TO ME ON MY PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS AS :(mr_infoupdate@yahoo.se)
Best Regard,
Dadu Mike.
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