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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "atm card department" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
- 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.
- davidjames2010@rediffmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "JOHN NEWMAN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jn_office@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 13:34:10 -0800
Subject: GOOD NEWS FOR YOU !!!
Dear Friend,
I am happy to inform you that I succeeded in transferring the $25m USD with the help of another partner from Iceland . Right now, I am in Iraq handling a contract and investing in their lucrative oil sector. .
Before I left, I instructed the manager of Intercontinental Bank Plc to release the sum of $2.5m USD which represents 10% of the money. This is to compensate you for your past effort in trying to help me move out the money. Though we did not succeed but I deemed it necessary to compensate you because of sincere past assistance.
Please contact Rev. Steven Young of Intercontinental Bank and tell him to release the $2.5m USD to you. The bank says they will release the $2.5m USD to you in an ATM card powered by MasterCard for global transactions. Contact him and give him this code "YU7435H" that is your transaction code. Please remember to include the code in your email to them.
Below is the contact detail of the person in charge of your ATM card payment:
Name: Rev.David James
Address: Intercontinental Bank Plc
Email: davidjames2010@rediffmail.com
He is the head of ATM card department of the bank and he is in the position to release the card to you or send it to you via FedEx courier. Send him your full names, your address where you would like to receive the card and your telephone number.
I shall keep in touch with you when I am free. I do not have access to email all the time so be free and communicate with the manager so that he can release the $2.5m USD (Two Million Five Hundred Thousand USD) to you.
May God Bless you!
Regards,
John Newman.
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Anti-fraud resources:
