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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:
- "00,000.00" (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: RED DOT AWARD <info@reddot.com>
Reply-To: desk_transferdirector@live.com
Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:40:06 +0700
Subject: Mr.Dixon Winterburn
We are happy to notify you that your e-mail address
was selected which won you three hundred thousand dollars($300,000.00)
in our on-going 2010 award presentation.Your email was selected from the
database of your email account provider which was picked-out after a
random sampling. You were chosen by the Red Dot Company Board
Committee as one of the recipients of this year award to celebrate the
success of the Monetary
and Fiscal year.To file for the claim of this award money, you are
therefore advice to reply back with your Name.... Address.... Occupation....
phone number....... Country......Upon your response we will give you
more details on how you are to claim this award.
Regards
Mr.Dixon Winterburn
Email:desk_transferdirector@live.com
http://en.red-dot.org/
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Anti-fraud resources:
