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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million 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)
- ",500,000" (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)
- "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)
- "united state of america" (this email uses bad English)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- 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.
Fraud email example:
From: "SAM COKER" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <samcoker@cbnniger.org>
Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 07:56:54 -0800
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF SAM COKER
FROM THE DESK OF SAM COKER
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
INTERNATIONAL OPERATION DEPT
PAYMENT CENTER OFFICE
VICTORIA ISLAND
LAGOS-NIGERIA .
Attn:
This is to inform you that you have the sum of $30.5 Million Dollars with this fund can from the MTN network this is a communication company that issue out over 300 Million Dollars to 10 lucky winners in the world which
you are one of the beneficiary, bear this in mind that it happened 3 years ago which we have been sending you email for you too come and claim your fund but you ignored us i don't know why.
Last two years some one stole your information from our data base in our company after they know you have the sum of $30,500,000.00 United State Dollars they made you believe that they are the only one that can transfer
the fund to you, we know they have been collecting money from you telling one or two liars given you hope that they trying their best to transfer the fund from you.
I want you to know that we have caught some of them but some are still contacting you the only that will stop is if you stop every email of transfer that is coming Central Bank of Nigeria that is the only way can
stop them.
Now some one came to how bank to inform us that you have been receiving all the email we have been sending to you but due to your position at handand you believe that is a scam you don't want to reply the email that
is why you sent him to come and claim the fund as a compensation of what he has done for you this person's name is Jerome Lewis he is from United State Of America.
We are sending this last email after this email we are not going to send you any more email about this fund because right now we are ready to transfer the fund to him because my boss told me that if you did not reply
this email within 48 hours we are going to transfer the fund to him, if you want me to send you is international passport for you to confirm if you know him or not i am going to send it to you.
For your information in case you are ready to claim the fund we have all your information that we need to transfer the fund but you need to send us your information again for yours to be sure that you are the one who is
replying this email that is if you still want the fund to be transfer to you be rest assured that this is no scam.
Full Name:
Country:
Current House Address:
Telephone Number:
Occupation:
Age:
Kindly get back to me with this email address in this email so that we can start the process of your fund (samcoker@cbnniger.org).
That is all for now and please do not reply all the email you see in your email address by that way you are helping us to fight scam in Nigeria.
Await your responds
Yours faithfully
Mr Sam Coker
+2348024425303
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Anti-fraud resources:
