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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.
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Agent Downey Bob <bob.agentdowney@yahoo.pt>
Reply-To: Agent Downey Bob <abobdowney@yahoo.gr>
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2014 09:31:30 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION VISIT IN NIGERIA
 Our Ref: CBN /0N8/CONTRACT NO.856.
To. Beneficiary:
This is Agent Bob Downey and we are here in Nigeria as an FBI/UNITED
NATION delegate that have been delegated to investigate these fraudsters
who are in the business of swindling Foreigners that came for transaction
in Nigeria .
Please be informed that during our investigation,we found out that there is a
total sum amount of money $12.5million that has been assigned in your name
as the beneficiary and these fraudsters are busy swindling you without any hope
of receiving your fund.
These are the works of the fraud stars who needed to extort money from you in the
name of this transfer.We have to inform you that we have made some arrested in
respect of this delayed over due fund. I have a very limited time to stay in
Nigeria here so I advise you urgently respond to this message .
These criminals will be caught unaware and we don't want them to know this
new development to avoid jeopardizing our investigation,you need to conceal
anything that has to do with this exercise to enable us get all the necessary
information we required.
I shall be expecting your swift response as soon as you
receive this email.
Best Regard,
agent bob downey
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION VISIT IN NIGERIA
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Anti-fraud resources:
