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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "anthonymuvango@live.co.za" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
- 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.
- tony.muvango@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs.Monica Martins" <mrsmmartins@aol.com>
Reply-To: tony.muvango@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2010 11:20:06 +0530 (IST)
Subject: From :Mrs Monica Martins
From: Mrs.Monica Martins,
Dear Sir/Madam.
I am happy to inform you about my success in getting those funds
transferred under the cooperation of a new partner from United Arab
Emirate (DUBAI).Presently I am in CHINA for investment projects with my
own Part of the total sum.
I m writing to thank you, for your past efforts and attempts to assist me
in transacting those funds out of South Africa despite that it failed us
some how.Now contact my secretary in south africa his name is
Mr.Anthony Muvango .
Email:-
anthonymuvango@live.co.za
tony.muvango@gmail.com
Tel:+27 73 844 1296
Fax:+27 866 47 7495
Contact him and ask him to send you the total of USD%856.000.00{Eight
Hundred And Fifty-Six Thousand United states Dollars} which I kept for
your past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter.
I appreciated your efforts very much. Kindly get in touch with my
Secretary Mr.Anthony Muvango and instruct him where to send the amount to
you.
At the moment, I am very busy with my investment projects in CHINA which I
and the new partner are having at hand, finally, remember that
instructions has being given to my former secretary on your behalf , So
feel free and get in touch with Mr.Anthony Muvango he will send the amount
to you with out any delay through the financial Institution /Bank In South
Africa.
Thanks and God bless you.
From: Mrs.Monica Martins.
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Anti-fraud resources:
