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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "zuelagrace@ymail.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- "zuelagrace@ymail.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Grace .Y. Zuela" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <yzgrace@ymail.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:15:20 +0100
Subject: Mrs. Grace.Y.Zuela from Angola, (Investment in your country)
Is me Mrs. G.Y.Zuela from Angola, (Investment in your country)
Dear Friend,
Please I am Grace .Y. Zuela the wife of a late Military General an erstwhile top-ranking member of a frontline liberation movement in Angola, whose organization had engaged the Angola government in a protracted three decades of civil war (1975–2002) that destroyed the fertile countryside, leaving it littered with landmines and driving millions into the cities.
I am therefore contacting you to assist me in channelling $16.9 Million U.S Dollars belonging to my late husband into a productive investment ventures in your country instead of war. I look to make this investment discreetly under discretionary asset management arrangement.
I have contacted you on the consideration that you can assist me and work out the possibility of placing this fund with you for management either in your existing establishment or other venture to be undertaken at your discretion under terms to be agreed upon.
I therefore prefer that this investment be made in your country. I shall be expecting your response in order to furnish you with details of the funds. All replies in response of this mail shall be directed to my private email: zuelagrace@ymail.com
Yours truly,
Mrs. Grace .Y. Zuela
Direct email: zuelagrace@ymail.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
