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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.
- 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:
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- +447031966773 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
- 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.
- brianadam@web2mail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: " Barrister .Brian Adam." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <brianadam@web2mail.com>
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:32:26 -0800
Subject: Do Reply Urgently.
From: Barrister .Brian Adam.
Senior Advocate of the cabinet ESQ
Hilltop EC14 HP
London.
Tel; +44 7031966773
Compliment.
Dear : Friend.
I am Barr. Brian Adam,an attorney at law and i would love to share with
you a very important business proposition that will be of mutual benefit to both
of us.
A deceased client of mine,that shares the same last name as yours, who here in
after shall be referred to as my late client, died as the result of a
heart-related condition on March 12th 2005. His heart condition was due to the
death of all the members of his family in the tsunami disaster on the 26th
December 2004 in Sumatra Indonesia .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake
My late Client has a deposit of Fourteen Million Two Hundred thousand united
state dollars ($14.2m USD) left behind.
I can be reached on (brianadam@web2mail.com) for more information.
Thanks
Barrister .Brian Adam.
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