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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 next of kin scam.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +447045728175 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
Fraud email example:
From: "Christopher Philips" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <chales.untb01@googlemail.com>
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:22:12 -0800
Subject: ATTENTION:BENEFICIARY CALL ME.
HELLO,
WE ARE CONDUCTING A STANDARD PROCESS INVESTIGATION AS REGARDS A MATTER INVOLVING A CLIENT. WE HAVE IN OUR POSSESSION TENTATIVE EVIDENCE THAT INDICATES YOU MIGHT BE WHOM WE SEEK.
THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO OUR PRIVATE BANKING CLIENT AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING INVESTMENTS MADE BY HIM AT OUR BANK. OUR PRIVATE BANKING CLIENT DIED INTESTATE AND NOMINATED NO NEXT OF KIN TO INHERIT THE TITLE OF INVESTMENTS MADE WITH OUR BANK. THE ESSENCE OF THIS COMMUNICATION IS TO REQUEST YOU PROVIDE US INFORMATION ON THREE ISSUES:
ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY RELATIVE/RELATION WHO SHARES YOUR LAST NAME AND WHOSE LAST KNOWN CONTACT ADDRESS WAS IN EUROPE?
ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY INVESTMENT OF CONSIDERABLE VALUE MADE BY HIM AT OUR BANK?
CAN YOU ESTABLISH BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT YOUR ELIGIBILITY TO ASSUME STATUS OF NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED, AS SUGGESTED BY OUR RESEARCH ANALYSTS?
IT IS IMPORTANT YOU INFORM US AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH OUR DECEASED CLIENT OR IF WE HAVE YOUR PERMISSION TO INVESTIGATE AND CONFIRM YOUR ELIGIBILITY ANY FURTHER SO WE MAY PUT AN END TO OUR INQUIRIES SURROUNDING THIS MATTER. WE ARE CONSTRAINED FROM PROVIDING YOU WITH MORE DETAILED INFORMATION AT THIS POINT. UPON CONTACT WE WOULD VERIFY AND TIE IN OUR INFORMATION WITH WHATEVER YOU MAY PROVIDE, THUS FACILITATING THE CONCLUSION OF THIS ISSUE.
PLEASE RESPOND TO US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO AFFORD US THE OPPORTUNITY TO CLOSE THIS INVESTIGATION.
CORDIALLY,
CHRISTOPHER PHILIPS
+447045728175
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Anti-fraud resources:
