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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 pounds" (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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Michael Williams <miccwilll@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: miccwilll@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2016 01:15:41 -0800
Subject: URGENT MATTER.
--
Dear Sir,
I wish to notify you that the bank management is concerned over your
failure to claim the sum of FIVE MILLION POUNDS that have been in
custody
of the bank bequest to you and your church by late ROBIN HUGH BERENS who
use to attend church service in your church whenever he`s in your
country.
Till his death I was the personal attorney to the late ROBIN HUGH
BERENS. I
just got memo from the bank that you have not claim your bequest funds
in
their custody and they are really concerned about it so I considered it
essential to remind you about this as I feel you might not aware of his
death since February 2015 because his pastor/church over here have
received
their funds from the bank also bequest to them by late ROBIN HUGH
BERENS.
Get back to me to enable me provide you full narrative of this and guide
you on how to claim your bequest funds from the bank. Provide me your
direct telephone number in your reply.
Looking forward to your rapid response.
MICHAEL WILLIAMS.
_ATTORNEY_-at-Law.
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Anti-fraud resources: