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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found 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.
- lukeofor@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: 80spe871 <80spe871@kpn-officedsl.nl>
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:24:17 +0100
Subject: CONTACT PASTOR LUKE FOR YOUR COMPENSATION FUND
Dear Friend,
How are you today? It's been long I heard from you. Well, I want to use this medium to thank you very much for your earliest assistance to help me in transfering my funds despite no positive outcome then . I am happy to inform you about my success in getting the funds transfered under the help of a new partner from paraguay and based on your assistance then i am compensating you with $1.2Million . Please contact Pastor Luke Ofor.
Name: Rev Pastor Luke Ofor
EMAIL:(lukeofor@sify.com)
Kindly reconfirm to him the following below information:
Your full name...........Your age...............Your address...........Your
occupation.........Your country.................Your Sex......................
Your Phone number.......Your City...........
Note that if you did not send him the above information complete, he will not
release the Bank Draft to you because he has to be sure that it is you.Ask him to send you the total sum of ($1.2m )USD Bank Draft ,which I kept for you.Note also that I will not be reached by email or phone for now because I am currently away in Indian for investment project with my share and I will be busy till about six months time or a year.
Regards
Dr John Akum.
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Anti-fraud resources:
