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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:
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- 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.
- mr.tomewing.4@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Fidelity Fund Manager <mr.tomewing10@yahoo.co.nz>
Reply-To: mr.tomewing14@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:19:45 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Reply Immediately
>From Mr. Tom Ewing
130 Tonbridge Road
Hildeaborough
Tonbridge
Kent
TN11 9DZ
Dear Partner,
I am the Fund Manager of Fidelity Investment International, the World Largest Fund Management Company with over US$1.2 Trillion Capital Investment Fund.
I handle all our Investor's Direct Capital Funds and secretly extracted and retained 1.2% Excess Maximum Return Capital Profit (EMRCP) per annum on each of the Investor's Marginal Capital Fund whenever we exceeded our annual target. As an expert, I have made the sum of (US$45.745 million) from the Investor's (EMRCP) and I need an honest foreigner who I can present in our office as the investor of the fund so that the person's name will be approved as the beneficiary of the fund and immediate remittance of the fund into the person's bank account as I cannot claim the fund directly with my name. The process of approving your name as the beneficiary of the fund will take only 24 hours. Note that Fidelity Management does not know about the origin of the fund so you are required to maintain the top secret of this deal and I assure you that your security is guaranteed as I have already studies the transaction carefully before contacting you.
If you accept to act as the investor of the fund here in Fidelity, I will give you 40% of the fund after claim. Upon confirmation of your acceptance to participate in this confidential transaction, I will give you more details on how to claim the fund without problem.
Call me on these telephone numbers +447759120060 or +447024087965 after your reply to this message. Reply to mr.tomewing.4@gmail.com
Mr. Tom Ewing,
Funds Manager.
www.fidelity.co.uk
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Anti-fraud resources:
