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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:
- "huge amount of money" (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: "ENG MAHAMMED" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <engmmuhammed@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2000 10:40:46 -0700
Subject: I NEED PARTNER IN YOUR COUNTRY
I NEED PARTNER IN YOUR COUNTRY
ATTN,
I contact you because I need a responsible and humble person who I can make business relationship with in abroad I am a young guy of 28yrs old I just finished my study in the university where I read Marine Engineering.Please your assistance is very important to me because I have a huge amount of money to start the business over there.
I will like to invest this money with you in a profitable business but I will like to sit down with you one on one to discuss it first So that we can both understand the kind of the person we are because I realized that different things are happening on internet that is why I will like to sit and discuss the issue with you before we go further Inconclussion I have decided that after I am with you in your country and we have start the business apart from what you will derive from this assistance I will be given you 10% of every income I get in a month on the business and 10% of every annual income just to show my appreciation to you as the person that give me every support I need in your country on the investment plan to make it successful. Thanks and remain bless.
Regards,
ENG.Mohammed Muhammed (JNR
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Anti-fraud resources:
