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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:
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Terry" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <tspringer1999@airsoftmail.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2010 21:24:47 +0100
Subject: Treat Urgently!!
>From Terry Springer,
My name is Mr Terry Springer and I wish to inform you that there are moves by the United Nations Economic Commission to confiscate and establish some facts on the reasons why your held funds should and must be confiscated and if this interests you to know and to also find a way to do everything possible in other to receive your money with us within the next few days,please reply to this mail without delay so that I will tell you what to do.
Furthermore please this is a very top secret that must be kept between you and me not even your closest ally must get to know or hear this because what I want to do is such a thing that must be kept a top secret from every of your close associates and even family members until you finally receive the money in your account I repeat do please keep this arrangement between you and me only as I look forward to
your reply.
Thank you so very much for honouring this letter.
Terry Springer
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Anti-fraud resources:
